Plans by the City of Harare to construct an office park in Borrowdale were curtailed after the Administrative Court upheld an appeal by CABS and Delta Corporation to preserve the open space for environmental purposes.
In January, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Ignatius Chombo, upon request from council granted a change in registration of the land – stand number 16921 Borrowdale – from open space and recreational to commercial.
Delta and CABS were aggrieved by the minister’s decision and appealed against the application, arguing that it was not in the best interest of the environment to approve change of use of the area.
Harare argued that there was public need for the land and that office space in the Central Business District was oversubscribed and there were no offices available at Sam Levy Village, also in Borrowdale.
In their appeal, the two companies argued that: “The change of use is not in the public interest and no actual positive need has been established. The public would not be seriously disadvantaged if the change of use were not permitted.”
The Administrative Court in January ruled that there were already other offices in that area, which were not fully utilized hence there was no need for new office space.-The Source
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