Heritage Cases

1. BACKGROUND & MOTIVATION FOR ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS Portion 3 of erf 2484 Durban is registered to the ownership of 32 Essenwood Road cc vide deed of transfer No. T19857/2005. The property is zoned general residential 1 in terms of the Berea North Area of the Durban Town Planning Scheme and is improved with a single storey former dwelling house, which is a listed building in terms of clause 6 bis and Appendix 7 of the Durban scheme regulations and which is now converted to offices. In November 2000 Schoombie Hartman Inc made application to the municipality for special consent to the restoration of a listed building and the conversion thereof to offices, on relaxed side spaces. That application was granted on 21 December 2000, (a copy of the approval notice is attached at Annex A), conditional to the occupancy of the offices by Schoombie Hartman Inc and any change in the occupancy permitted only with the written consent of the Head : Development Planning, Environmental Planning and Climate Protection and Management. The renovations and office conversion were completed during 2001 as per the sketch plans on which basis the consent was granted. The new offices have since the completion of the restoration been occupied by Schoombie Hartman Inc, in accordance with condition 10 of the approval. All other conditions of the consent approval have been complied with (Annex A). A single garage on the Essenwood Road frontage of the site was demolished in the restoration process but the outbuilding on the rear boundary of the property has been retained. Since the initial restoration and conversion to offices, the swimming pool at the rear of the property has been filled in to provide additional on-site parking. There are now a total of 14 demarcated parkings, as shown on the site plan attached at Annex B. Schoombie Hartman Inc, a professional quantity surveying practice, are now in need of additional office space which can be achieved by enclosing the existing rear verandah. However, clause 11 of the scheme states that where the municipality has authorised the use of a building by special consent, that building may not be extended without the further special consent of the municipality. The existing open verandah at the rear of the offices, which it is proposed to enclose, is not currently accountable floor area. Thus the proposed enclosure and conversion to offices will constitute an additional 32.74m² of office space and is thus an extension of the existing authorised use. 2. THE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL Attached at Annex C – Drawing 1988/T/1 is a sketch plan that depicts the proposed alterations and additions to the existing offices. To summarise, the proposal comprises the following: 2.1 Existing open verandah area at the rear of the building is to be enclosed. 2.2 Existing aluminum sliding door at rear of existing general office 2 to be removed and relocated to rear of enclosed verandah. 2.3 The enclosed verandah to be divided so as to extend the size of existing general office 2 and to create a new separate office No. 4. 2.4 Existing window in kitchenette and doorway from office 3 onto verandah to be bricked up. 2.5 Existing north side dwarf wall of verandah to be demolished. 2.6 New chromo deck roof to be installed over the enclosed verandah area.