By Andrew Stone

Plans for a new golf estate development along the Mount Coke Road outside East London, are in the process of being drawn up.

The development – still in the early stages of planning – is located approximately 10km from the East London Airport and falls within the jurisdiction of the Buffalo City Municipality. If given the go ahead, the estate will include an 18-hole golf course and driving range, approximately 2 000 residential units, a clubhouse and a retail and recreational component. The Daily Dispatch has learnt that course designer Tyrone Yates will be working on the project.

Yates, who has been involved in the management consulting department for various golf courses, estates and lodges, designed professional golfer Lee Westwood’s first signature golf course at St Micheil’s in Mpumalanga.

The 430ha set aside for the proposed Mount Coke development by African Dune Investments 86 spans two existing farms currently being used for dairy cattle farming. The site lends itself to a golf course with its rolling hills, rural setting and close proximity to the CBD.

According to the West Bank Local Spatial Development Framework, the farms are located in an area proposed for future residential areas linked to the Industrial Development Zone.

The Environmental Impact Assessment being conducted by local company Biotechnology and Environmental Specialist Consultancy (BESC) will conduct specialist investigations to assess impacts identified during the scoping phase. This will also allow people the opportunity to participate in the process by raising any concerns or issues.

Very little is known about African Dune Investments 86 and the company, through BESC, declined to comment further, saying the estate was still in the early stages of development.

The company’s address is listed in Bloemfontein and it has one director, Duane Bouwer.

Last month the Dispatch ran a story on the city’s potential as a golf destination, reporting that representatives from Ernie Els Design were in town visiting a potential golf estate site. Piet Pieters of Ernie Els design said that the level of interest in East London by developers had increased significantly with the weather, its scenic sites and easy commuting route to Johannesburg by air being the main draw cards. Matkovich and Hayes, one of the country’s most successful golf estate design and construction companies, is currently involved in three sites at Chintsa, Kidds Beach and Morgan Bay.

Andy Bean, the company’s chief executive officer, said there was a huge opportunity for a residential golf estate in East London and that he knew of three companies looking at potential developments in and around the city.

Source: Daily Dispatch