City Enhances its Online Applications System for Development Approval

In an effort to maintain a fully interactive relationship with clients so as to expedite development applications, eThekwini Municipality will on 11 December 2020 deploy its enhanced online submission platform for all types of development applications.

The Covid-19 pandemic has hugely impacted interaction between the Development Planning, Environment & Management Unit and its customers as we know it.

Demonstrating mindfulness towards the lead time required to comply with statutory processes prior to the implementation of projects, in June the Municipality deployed an online portal through which professionals could submit their applications.

The portal has since been significantly enhanced, with new security features and tools that allow for unlimited interaction with the unit being put in place. Fully integrated with the internal systems, the portal will provide a seamless and interactive platform between the public and internal processes.

Customers will now be required to register on the e-Services platform and create a profile, and thereafter, be able to access the online submission portal.

Through the portal, customers will be able to submit plan applications and all planning enquiries. The enhanced version has provided for auto-acknowledgements together with the creation of a reference number, just at the click of a button.

The applicant, through the profile created when registering with e-Services, will be in a position to track and monitor the application process without a need to constantly call or send e-mails.

Moreover, automatic alerts will be sent out each time a milestone is achieved on the assessment of the application. A final decision notice will then be electronically sent out with its related notification.

This is a great stride as the previously deployed platform only allowed for submission of applications and no tools for the internal process to interact with the platform for the benefit of the applicant. Outcomes of plan assessments and decision notices were communicated through e-mail with no form of monitoring or tracking the process by the applicant. The automated responses were also not available.

To use the portal, customers can log onto https://eservices.durban.gov.za/v2/