Chance to comment on the changes to by-laws

AFTER much consultation, the City of Cape Town is proposing several amendments and new provisions to the Municipal Planning By-law that regulates development and land use in the city as part of its five-year review process.

The deputy mayor and mayoral committee member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, says that in addition to the proposed amendments, there are new provisions.

Two of them speak specifically to the micro-developer:

• An “affordable rental flat” is a new proposed additional use right on properties within 194 identified areas across Cape Town to enable the development of smallscale affordable rental accommodation in these areas.

It is proposed that the number of small scale affordable rental units on a single property may not exceed eight units plus a dwelling house, or 12 units if there is no dwelling house on the land. A map of the proposed 194 areas is available online, and residents are encouraged to peruse the map and to submit their comments

• One of the key initiatives for making it easier and more costeffective to develop, is the proposed introduction of incentive overlay zones for development focus areas in Athlone, Maitland, Parow/Elsies River, Bellville and Diep River. The intention is to assign additional and enhanced development rights to properties that fall within these zones.

These and the many other amendments suggested are intended to make it easier to build and develop in Cape Town, improve clarity and certainty, encourage the development of affordable rental accommodation in identified areas, accommodate advancements in the renewable energy sector, and enable the City to impound moveable property that is being used for illegal building and demolition work when an order to stop work is ignored, among others.

Have your say

The City is urging Capetonians to make use of the opportunity to comment on the proposed new provisions and amendments to municipal planning by-law.

The proposed revised Municipal Planning By-law and an explanatory document to guide comments are available on the City’s website at www.capetown. gov.za/haveyoursay.

Comments and recommendations can be submitted as follows:

1. Online, at www.capetown. gov.za/haveyoursay

2. Email to lums@capetown. gov.za