Katherine Wilkinson

A new hotel is on the cards for Knysna after the Brenton-on-Sea hotel site was on Wednesday auctioned for R14-million.

Successful bidder Willie van Heerden, on behalf of Dynarc, a property company based in Bloemfontein, said the group intended building a hotel on the site, which would be in line with the style of the old hotel which burnt to the ground in 2004.

Previous owners Ocean Estates International, who registered the property under the name of Duvet Trading Pty Ltd, purchased the property in 2003 for R13-million.

Van Heerden said he would not be using the controversial site development plans which had previously been submitted for approval by Ocean Estates International.

These plans were met with opposition from local residents and the municipality who felt the proposed hotel building was unsuitable due to its bulk and size.

Ocean Estates International is currently under liquidation. Another property previously owned by the company, situated in Knysna‘s Main Road, fetched R9,6-million when it went under the hammer last month.

A spokesman for auctioneers, the Alliance Group, said the sale was subject to a seven-day period in which the liquidator, Berrange Incorporated, could choose to accept or decline the offer, but indications were that the offer would be accepted.

The Brenton-on-Sea hotel site auction took place at noon at Pezula hotel in Knysna, with the auctioneer starting off with an opening price of R20-million. No one responded and the first offer was for R10-million. In less than 20 minutes, the final and decisive bid was made.

The Brenton hotel site comprises 9189m² of coastal dune and cliffs and falls within the Western Heads-Goukamma Conservancy, which received official recognition from CapeNature on May 13.

Van Heerden said he was also involved in the Silky Oaks Golf and Country Estate between Plettenberg Bay and Port Elizabeth in the vicinity of the Tsitsikamma National Park.

Source: The Herald