City of Joburg to scrap old town planning schemes

14 September 2017

 

As the City of Joburg marks the first days of spring, it’s a case of out with the old and in with the new. 

The City is reviewing the Land Use Scheme, which has been in use since the early 1970s under the Town Planning and Townships Ordinance Acts of 1965 and 1985.

 

According to Member of the Mayoral Committee for Development and Planning Cllr Funzela Ngobeni, the City of Johannesburg plans to scrap the old scheme and implement a new one, which is in line with the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act of 2013.

“All land owners and users, including the City, state-owned enterprises and all organs of the state would be bound by the provisions of the new scheme,” says Cllr Ngobeni.
The draft City of Johannesburg Land Use Scheme regulates the zoning of property and spells out the rules on how properties should be developed.

Among other things, the proposed scheme aims to promote economic development and attract investors, which is in line with Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba’s 10-point plan to achieve 5% economic growth in Joburg.

Last month, MMC Ngobeni encouraged residents to take part in the drafting of the scheme by participating in public consultations the City’s seven regions between September 4 and 7.

An additional session is currently being organised for Cosmo City, following previous engagements with residents around illegal building and land use. Members of the public have until October 13 to submit their comments on the draft scheme when the 60-day public consultation period comes to an end.

“Inputs from residents and businesses are needed to increase awareness on land scheme regulations,” says Cllr Ngobeni.

The draft scheme affects the daily activities of residents and land owners. Business owners should take note that, according to the proposed regulations, their businesses must have parking space, even if it is a home enterprise. The current 16 town planning schemes are outdated and create challenges for residents and the business community. Upon approval, all of the City’s seven regions will have a uniform framework, as the draft scheme also seeks to do away with inconsistent and distorted town planning.