From tidal pool to apartment block: How Prasa’s St James land became a flashpoint

Key events in Kalk Bay/St James land disputes, April 2022-November 2026

2 April 2022

More than 100 residents protest at the Brass Bell

Residents, Khoi-San activists and faith leaders gather outside the Brass Bell restaurant to oppose construction of a wooden deck over the last public beach near the children's tidal pool — on PRASA-leased land. The protest draws national media attention.

~5 April 2022

City, Prasa and national environment department intervene

Following a joint meeting between the City of Cape Town, PRASA CRES and the national Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Brass Bell owner Tony White announces he will not proceed with the deck “at this stage”. Prasa issues a formal cease-construction letter.

~July 2022

New deck appears; Nema investigation launched

Within three months of the initial halt, a new deck is erected. Provincial authorities investigate whether the construction contravenes the National Environmental Management Act. Residents report the former tidal pool has been absorbed into the Brass Bell as a dining and entertainment venue.

21 September 2026

Fresh Heritage Month protest erupts over tidal pool deck

More than 200 people attend a protest after the Brass Bell converts the former children’s tidal pool into a deck for diners and live bands. News24 and 2OceanVibe report on community fury during Heritage Month – marking four years of unresolved conflict over Prasa-leased beachfront land.

7 October 2026

Intersite awards St James senior living tender – without notifying residents

Prasa’s property arm, Intersite Asset Investments, publicly announces it has awarded a development lease for “retirement/senior living apartments” at St James to Kromkraans JV. The 1.1-hectare site – between Main Road and the railway line – is one of six Western Cape sites in a proposed R3.6-billion pipeline. The community is not consulted before the award.

~October 2026

Artist's impression surfaces; winning bidder's identity unclear

An Intersite artist's impression shows “a near-continuous row of apartment blocks along the seafront, with three storeys of flats on columns over parking”. Residents note that Kromkraans JV has not disclosed the names of its member companies.

~October / early November 2026

300+ residents join WhatsApp group; Paia request submitted

More than 300 people sign up to a community WhatsApp group within days of the award becoming public. Resident Peter Barron submits a formal Promotion of Access to Information Act (Paia) request to obtain development documents from Intersite. The Kalk Bay and St James Ratepayers and Residents Association confirms it has never been contacted by Intersite.

12 November 2026

City confirms no planning application has been lodged

The False Bay Echo reports that the City of Cape Town’s Development Management Department has received zero land-use or building-plan applications for the proposed St James development – meaning residents are reacting to a commercially awarded lease with no formal statutory standing to object yet.

13 November 2026

Community meeting: Legal action threatened, Paia outcome awaited

More than 300 residents attend a community meeting. Environmental lawyer Nicholas Smith says legal action will be considered once information from the Paia request is received. The meeting underscores a recurring pattern: community participation comes after the lease, not before it.

15 November 2026

Media coverage escalates; dispute unresolved

The Cape Argus publishes “Prasa’s R3.6bn property plans spark fears over St James coastline”, confirming ongoing community resistance, no City planning submission, and uncertainty over what Kromkraans JV intends to build. The Paia response – and any legal challenge – remain outstanding.

Prasa and Intersite awarded commercial leases on both the Brass Bell tidal pool in 2021 and the St James senior living site in October 2026 before any planning applications or community consultation. By the time residents mobilised, a private beneficiary was already contractually in place, leaving the community with political leverage and moral outrage but no statutory foothold until a planning application is lodged.