City bars wedding venue in leafy Lovemore Park

By Nomahlubi Sonjica

THE Nelson Mandela Bay municipality has stopped a prospective wedding venue from operating in a quiet residential area as it does not meet municipal requirements.

The Plantation was due to open during the first week of November, but an interdict has been issued against the owners for not adhering to all the municipality’s requirements.

However, Plantation chief executive Sarah Dirsuwei said the group had followed all the correct procedures when applying for the municipal special consent required for it to operate as a business in Lovemore Park, which is zoned for residential use only.

“We have publicly invited objections on a number of occasions, and employed independent consultants to conduct a comprehensive and unbiased environmental impact assessment,” she said.

She said the assessment had “addressed and negated” all the objections received. “Every time we meet a requirement, there seems to be something else that we need to do.”

Dirsuwei said the group had applied a year ago to operate in the city. “We used our last savings to open the wedding venue.”

She said more than 60 bookings had been made for weddings, all of which had had to be cancelled.

Belinda Llewellyn, of Walmer, who had booked the Plantation for her wedding in April next year, was disappointed on being told she had to look for another venue.

Steve Gough, an attorney representing the municipality, said the owners of the Plantation had applied only to operate as a guest house, not as a wedding venue.

“Firstly they started to build without consent. They only applied to operate as a conference centre and guest house,” said .