Cape Town - The City of Cape Town wants to wants to exempt seven “defined development areas” within the Metro from heritage protection for faster development.
It intends to allow owners and developers to alter, improve and demolish buildings that are older than 60 years without prior approval from Heritage Western Cape (HWC).
Calling for public comment on the exemption proposals which opened yesterday (Tuesday), deputy mayor Eddie Andrews said the measure would reduce red tape, making it easier for property owners and developers to alter, demolish, or rebuild properties in the selected areas, or consolidate properties for development.
Currently, any person who wants to alter or demolish a structure older than 60 years must first apply to the HWC for a Section 34(1) permit to do so, regardless of whether the property has any heritage value or not.
Only once the HWC has issued the permit can they submit a development application, or a building plan to the City for consideration.
Andrews, who is also Mayco member for spatial planning and environment, said the areas under consideration in the proposal are within Airport Industria, Atlantis, Flamingo, Kuils River, Mitchells Plain Town Centre, Ottery/Lansdowne and the Voortrekker Road Corridor.
The City’s proposal intends to place certain conservation-worthy properties on the heritage register for protection through the City’s Heritage Protection Overlay Zonings.
Andrews said that working together, the City’s Urban Planning and Design Department and the Environmental and Heritage Management Department as well as consultants, it had undertaken a National Heritage Resource Act exemption areas investigation to pursue the exemptions.
“As part of this application process, we will be informing affected property owners that their property is conservation worthy, and provide them with the opportunity to comment on our proposal to include it on the heritage register as part of the submission to HWC,” Andrews said.
Meanwhile the HWC last week held a meeting of its Inventories, Grading And Interpretation Committee which recommended that social history experts be appointed to its panel of consultants, to assess the social significance of sites mentioned in the City’s exemption proposals.
The closing date for submissions of objections and comments is August 14. Those wanting more information should visit the City’s Have Your Say page at www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay.