Old Biscuit Mill distances itself from allegations of gentrification
THE Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock has distanced itself from a court order granted to evict 28 families from a row of houses in Bromwell Street.
One of the directors of Standard Mills, which owns the Old Biscuit Mill, said the company had no interest in evicting families from Woodstock and that the action went against their ethos.
Standard Mills director Jody Aufrichtig said the protest action at the weekend in which anti-gentrification activists “occupied” the busy Saturday market had hurt the small businesses trading there.
“We’re trying to help the people there. We’ve got no relationship with the Hub and Trematon Capital Investments, which owns the houses in Bromwell Street.”
The tenants have been given until September 9 to vacate the row of houses after the new owners, who bought the property in 2014, had in July won an eviction order.
Keri Hattingh, the legal adviser for the Woodstock Hub and the Blok, which is partowned by Jacques van Embden, said she did not owe the media any explanation for the planned eviction.
“The process we’ve followed is a very, very long route and the law is a very fair process.”
Van Embden, 33, who lives in a Sea Point penthouse overlooking the promenade, refused to comment when contacted on his Twitter page.
Meanwhile, the Woodstock Hub said on its website that it had acquired the properties to make a “meaningful contribution” to Woodstock.
“It’s important to state that the Hub did not acquire these properties with the intention of them being occupied and we have maintained high levels of sensitivity and respect for the process. We now need to proceed with developing this property.”