Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Nceba Faku might disregard consultants' advice and choose Pollok Beach as the site for the municipality's R400-million International Convention Centre.

Faku endorsed Pollok Beach for the world-class facility in a mayoral committee meeting held last week, despite advice from the municipality's consultants on the project that the Kings Beach site would be the best one - based on the fact that the latter has lots of room for future expansion.

Comparing the merits of the Kings and Pollok Beach sites last month, the consultants were adamant that Pollok Beach did not offer ideal opportunities for expansion in future.

This is recorded in the minutes of a meeting held on September 28 between the consultants and the mayoral committee.

Faku could not be reached for comment yesterday as he is on council business in China.

Deputy mayor Bicks Ndoni confirmed Faku's preference of Pollok Beach over Kings Beach, but was quick to add that no final, official decision had yet been made. He said the bay would announce its preferred site in two weeks' time.

"It is true that the mayor is in favour of Pollok Beach, but the mayoral committee will make a decision in two weeks," Ndoni said.

Defending Faku's preference of Pollok Beach as the venue for the ICC, Ndoni said this was based on the fact that the mayor did not want to have "everything clustered around Kings Beach".

"The mayor doesn't wish to cluster Kings Beach as it has been earmarked for the Waterfront and Madiba Statue developments."

Three potential sites were initially identified for the facility - Pollok, Kings and Moreton beaches (across from the Paxton Hotel).

The ICC will offer a hotel, a conference and convention venue, as well as lots of parking space.

Nelson Mandela Bay Development Agency chief executive, Pierre Voges, said he could not comment on Faku's preference until the recommendation was made official at a council meeting.

Voges said the national environmental affairs department would also be expected to issue the authorisation for the site based on an environmental impact assessment.

"The environmental and tourism department will look at many things, including public comment and the environmental assessment study before it makes its authorisation of a site for the ICC," he said. The environmental impact study will be finalised next year.

However, the DA is opposed to constructing the ICC at Pollok Beach. It says this would limit access for members of the public to natural facilities.

DA chairman for Nelson Mandela Bay, Elizabeth Trent, said yesterday that while she welcomed the development of the facility as a good economic drive for the bay, she feared that its construction at Pollok Beach would be against the Coastal Environmental Act which prevents the closure of the beachfront to members of the public.

"We are devastated at the mayor's preference because it will destroy the beach and it will take a unique facility away from members of the public."