City approves building plans to the value of R20,4 billion

The City of Cape Town has approved building plans to the value of R20,4 billion over an 11-month period, ending 31 May 2019. A further 8 760 land use applications have been finalised during this time. 

Cape Town is a growing city and more people are relocating here in search of opportunities and a better life.

Some within the development and construction industry often claim that ‘red tape’ and ‘City bureaucracy’ are preventing, delaying, or hampering their industries, and subsequent investment in our local economy.

On the other hand, some residents are opposed to new developments. They want their neighbourhoods to retain the character it had 20 years ago, despite the fact that more people are relocating to Cape Town and that the growing population must be catered for. The tension between the different interests is further exacerbated by the legacy of apartheid spatial planning, and the dire need for affordable housing in well-located areas.

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 assesses all development applications and building plans 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 and land parcel that falls within the City of Cape Town’s municipal boundaries; and the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act.

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;
• create a safe, healthy and sustainable built environment;
• find a balance between meeting communities’ needs, and protecting our natural and built heritage environment;
• work wisely with our available land, which is becoming an increasingly scarce resource; and
• support our efforts in creating a compact and resource efficient City.

The following statistics confirm that the City’s Development Management Department is performing its duties in a responsible manner, and within a reasonable time:

• We have received 21 943 building plan applications from 1 July 2018 to 31 May 2019, and approved 19 585 applications over the same time period. This reflects an average of 1 780 building plans approved per month across eight planning districts. The value of the building plans approved over this time period is R20,4 billion.
• We have received 9 981 land use applications from 1 July 2018 to 31 May 2019, and finalised 8 760 applications over the same time period. Thus, the City has finalised 88% of the submissions received when one compares the number of applications submitted with the number of applications finalised.
• Administrative penalties paid for contraventions of the Municipal Planning By-law and the National Building Regulations amount to R3144 620 as from 1 July 2018 to 31 May 2019.

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. These interested and affected parties have the right to oppose, object to, and comment on development applications.

The approval of development applications usually takes longer when a submission is objected to, or opposed. Often the final decision is taken up for review in the high court. The point is, all developments and building plans must be approved by the City, and all residents and interested parties, as well as developers and landowners, have the right to appeal the final decision.

These processes take time, and rightly so, as the decisions often have a wide impact.

Also, the assessment process will be delayed when applications are incomplete – for example, the City cannot accept and process a building plan application unless the applicant has obtained all prerequisite approvals, environmental impact assessment authorisation, and so forth.

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.

Media Statement Issued by the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Marian Niewoudt.