The City of Cape Town (the City) is proposing that the public open space bordered by Golders Green, Melbourne Road, Victoria Walk and Earl Street in Woodstock be reserved for the incorporation in a housing development.

This would mean that this green space (adjacent to the old Woodstock Hospital) will disappear. This petition aims to stop this from happening.

Why is that important?

-     We need proper planning and public participation with the creation of housing and how it interacts within the community and residential fabric it is proposed in. The last few years the City has consistently approved large scale developments in the Woodstock area without considering public opinion. This has resulted in a huge increase in the number of people living in our area and growing congestion on the roads. The City MUST consult the community before allowing anymore developments to be built;

-     Woodstock should not be considered an easy target by the City in order to solve their housing crisis. The City does not expect the people in the area to object to their proposed plans. We therefore need to make it very clear that we are not the low-hanging fruit they take us for;

-     Green spaces should be in walking distance for all. The removal of this public open space from the centre of our area will mean that the only remaining green spaces are on the outskirts of Woodstock. They are further away and much more difficult to reach by the people of Woodstock, who include children and elderly people. Safety for these community members must be a priority;

-     This green space is widely used by community members. There is a play park used by the children, there is a space to walk dogs and to play sports. It is an interactive space where neighbours meet each other daily to chat and catch up. It is a vibrant and well utilised community space, essential to community life, and it should remain like that. If anything, this space should be further maintained and developed for the community's benefit;

-     More people in an already densely built up area means that there is a growing need for open spaces. A habitable neighbourhood and healthy and sociable living demand that people, especially those in high rise residential buildings, can go out and enjoy public open spaces with their families and pets within an acceptable distance from their homes. It cannot be that every available green space is going to be sacrificed to developments and we end up without any open spaces to enjoy and unwind. It is very important for the City to strike a good balance between a plethora of developments and open spaces; and

-     We firmly believe that the City has a unique opportunity here to achieve a widely acclaimed, replicable model of a highly successful development which includes public open space. The alternative, to completely over-build the public open spaces as proposed, would be laying the foundations for a future slum.

This petition to preserve our green space and stop the building of a development will be submitted to the Mayor of Cape Town, the relevant MayCo member, ward councillor and City officials.

We need your support, because the City is busy planning this development right now. We can still stop them.

Please sign this petition and tell your friends and neighbours about it.