The City of Cape Town’s Council has approved amendments to the Municipal Planning By-law (MPBL).
Once promulgated, the amendments will, among others, allow for controlled densification, short-term letting from flats, and minor freestanding and minor rooftop cell masts, either as of right or as a consent use.
The by-law regulates development and land use in Cape Town and the amendments, part of the City’s annual review process, must give effect to the policies and strategies that have been adopted by Council over the past few years.
The approval follows a public participation process which ran from March 1 to April 1, with six information sessions having been held in Milnerton, Kraaifontein, the Cape Town CBD, Fish Hoek, Goodwood, and Strand.
Residents and affected parties had the opportunity to make oral presentations at a public hearing that took place in Parow on
March 30.
After the proposed amendments were presented to the 24 sub-councils, they were made available at the sub-council offices as well as online.
“All-in-all we received 131 submissions from residents, ratepayers’ associations, organisations, and other interested parties and I want to thank them for their valuable input,” said mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment, Marian Nieuwoudt.
“The planning officials assessed these with great care, and made some changes to the proposed amendments.
“For example, following on from the constructive public engagement process, it was decided to omit the section about emergency housing altogether, as it needs further refinement; and we added provisions to the section that deals with the third dwelling as an additional use right,” she added.
The second round of the C40 Reinventing Cities Programme will be launched worldwide later this month, and the four City-owned sites are all near public transport.
The other sites are Athlone station car park, Mouquet Farm in Diep River and the Kapteinsklip station precinct in Mitchell’s Plain.
The sites have a combined size of about 40 hectares
and a commercial value of
R316 million, according to Marian Nieuwoudt, Mayco member for spatial planning and environment.
Ms Nieuwoudt said design proposals would need to minimise the amount of energy a building uses for heating, cooling, hot water, lighting, ventilation, electrical services, and so forth.
The projects will have to reduce energy demand, use energy efficiently, and use renewable energy or low-carbon energy.
Proposals should also address other elements of urban sustainability and include features that address water and energy conservation, sustainable materials, green mobility and so forth.
Among international projects under way, Houston, Texas, is building a large urban solar farm on a 97-ha landfill that has been closed for decades.
The Milan proposal is for a zero-carbon social housing circular-economy district with a community food hub and a zero-waste food store. Between houses and public space, there will be a series of green “diaphragms” such as private or educational gardens, mulberry trees, or woodland spots.
Ms Nieuwoudt said C40’s second phase was the start of a process that would take many years should the City go ahead with one or all of the development proposals.
“We will follow a statutory process regarding development applications, meaning the public will be able and encouraged to submit comments during a public participation process,” she said.
Ms Nieuwoudt and Ms Van Rensburg had, “possibly out of fear of having to answer critical questions,” failed to advise the association’s members at a meeting on Thursday October 31 that council had approved the initial phase of the programme and would now move onto phase two, Mr Petersen said.
“It is worrying that our objections and or concerns are not addressed or taken into account,” said Mr Petersen.
He said he had advised members to contact Ms Nieuwoudt to raise their concerns.
Ms Nieuwoudt said some residents had commented on the impact the proposed development of the sites might have on safety, traffic, and the general character of the surrounding areas.
“I assure them that with investment from the relevant bidding parties, we will be able to ignite much needed renewal in these areas, economic growth, and job creation. In fact, the investment in these sites would be to the benefit of all who live and work there.”
At a sub-council meeting earlier this year, PR councillor Carl Popham welcomed the development, saying it could “change the face of Goodwood and Cape Town.”
Ms Nieuwoudt said future ownership of the sites had yet to be determined and whether the sites would be sold or leased would be included in bid submissions to the City.