In an effort to fast-track housing delivery, the City’s Development Planning, Environment and Management Unit’s Town Planning Department wants to amend all schemes to include a new reservation of land in a scheme called “public housing”.
This application will be done in terms of Chapter 2 of the KwaZulu-Natal Planning and Development Act 6 of 2008.
EXCO has agreed that the department develops an approval process using reservation of land rather than zoning.
Head of the Development Planning, Environment and Management Unit Musa Mbhele said in the past housing delivery was hampered by various legal processes that are involved in getting land ready before any housing development can take place.
“The department has created a new zone in our town planning schemes referred to as reservation of land. This zone is to help facilitate massive housing delivery for the poor,” he said.
Mbhele said the reservation of land will ensure that there is land readily available for housing development. The development of housing will comply with the relevant legislative framework.
This approach is new to Council and its performance will be reviewed in a year’s time.
Council Speaker Logie Naidoo said this was a very progressive plan to ensure that the Municipality speeds up service delivery.
