The City of Cape Town has approved building plans to the value of more than R17,2 billion since 27 March 2020 to 22 April 2021. The Khayelitsha district counts among the top two planning districts in Cape Town in terms of the number of building plans approved, indicating a lot of building activity is already ongoing, or imminent for the area, all of which is funded by residents and the private sector.
Covid-19 is having a devastating impact on our local economy and the road to recovery will be an uphill one. The construction sector is critical to this recovery as it creates direct and indirect job opportunities, and fuels the demand for goods and services associated with this industry.
The City’s Development Management Department has implemented various solutions to ensure business continues normally as far as possible during the Covid-19 lockdown period, and beyond.
All has been set up to ensure that building plans and development applications can be submitted by the public, and to keep the turnaround time for assessments to about 30 working days for building plans, and 90 days for land use applications, pending statutory and other requirements in terms of the Municipal Planning By-law.
A very promising trend is the number of building plans that the private sector has submitted for building work in the Khayelitsha planning district during this period. These were either submitted by residents or by private companies. The City has approved a total number of 3 078 building plans of which 1 065 are residential in nature, and 941 for additions and alterations to existing buildings.
This indicates a significant investment in residential properties in Khayelitsha. The estimated value of the building work is R1,6 billion, and one can assume that many local businesses and residents stand to benefit from the work that will flow from the approved building plans once construction commences. Also, improvements to existing residences add to the value of the asset, and I am excited to see that a number of residents in Khayelitsha intend to do so.
Statistics from the City’s Development Management Department for the period 27 March 2020 to 22 April 2021:
- the department approved 18 070 building plans with an estimated value of R17,2 billion across all planning districts in Cape Town; these cover a floor area of 2 266 212 m²
- the majority of these building plans are residential in nature (3 493), and for additions and alterations to existing buildings (9 442)
- the number of building plan approvals for each planning district are as follows:
Northern – 3 425
Khayelitsha – 3 078
Tygerberg – 2 587
Southern – 2 237
Blaauwberg – 1 980
Helderberg – 1 772
Cape Flats – 1 606
Table Bay – 1 385
- the department finalised 6 066 land use applications across all planning districts
The City must find a balance between urbanising Cape Town and meeting the demand for well-located housing, while at the same time protecting the unique qualities and natural environment that make our city a sought-after destination.
It is important to mention that the City is compelled to assess all development and building plan applications in terms of the Municipal Planning By-law (MPBL); the City’s Development Management Scheme (DMS) or zoning scheme which determines the land use for every site or land parcel that falls within the City of Cape Town’s municipal boundaries; and the National Building Regulations.
As such, the City’s Development Management Department controls and regulates:
- the construction of new buildings and developments
- the alteration, extension, or conversion of existing buildings
- changes in the use of existing buildings and sites; and
- the demolition of existing buildings or structures
Also, municipalities are responsible for managing land use on sites that fall within their boundaries. Land use management is intended to:
- ensure that the right development takes place at the right place, and at the right time, and that it happens in a desirable and sustainable way
- ensure that land use supports economic growth and creates employment opportunities
- creates a safe, healthy and sustainable built environment
- finds the right balance between meeting communities’ needs, and protecting our natural and built heritage environment; and
- works wisely with our available land, which is a scarce resource
Land use and development have an impact on all who live and work in Cape Town.
The City is compelled by law to notify interested and affected parties of applications that may have an impact on adjacent property owners and residents when an application goes over and above the existing land rights in terms of the DMS. These interested and affected parties have the right to oppose, object to, and comment on development applications, and to appeal final decisions.
The approval of development applications usually takes longer when a submission is objected to, or opposed and rightly so, as the decisions have a wide impact.
The City’s Development Management Department is executing its duties with urgency and intent, and we are guided by the MPBL, the DMS, and the applicable policies that have been approved by Council over the past decade.