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Howard reported that although the position of the site was good (the station
remained here till closure on 30 November 1950) the site was “abominable”.

The reason why Howard reported the site as “abominable” was that it involved

the taking of levels and avoiding the encroachment of roads on Crown Land.

(Fig. 4.3). There were also problems with the sand, and the Chief Surveyor of the
P. W. D. Mr. Charles Hougham noted that the police station was only 30 feet

from the railway viaduct the foundations of which might act as like a dam wall to
run-off water from the mountain, and this could affect the building. This meant

that the foundations of the police station had to be sunk to a minimum of three
feet and the base had to be a solid bed of concrete. All future taking of sand

around the site for ballast of boats was prohibited, as was the digging of the sand

by the fishermen.

Construction of the new station got underway in early 1898 without the plans

having been approved by the Council.

The Inspector reported [to the Council] that the convicts had been attending to
the sluits and drains and in constructing a new road alongside the municipal
stream at Kalk Bay as owing to the erection of the new police station the old road
was closed. The Inspector reported that he had informed the clerk of works in
charge at the new police station that no plans had been submitted to the Council,
also that in March 1896 the Council wrote to the Chief of Police asking that the
new building might be kept further in. In consequence the clerk of the works
wired for instructions to the F. W. Department and works were stopped for some
th
days, but on the 17 the contractor received another wire instructing him to
proceed with the work.

The Wynberg Times, 26 February 1898

In January 1899 Council’s Inspector reported that the old lock-up had been
closed and the convicts removed to Simon’s Town. Notwithstanding this, it

seems that there were serious delays due to the Anglo-Boer War and the

subsequent economic recession, and the actual date of opening of the new police