Collective Ratepayers Association (CRA) launched an appeal against Municipal Planning Amendment By-Law 2024.
The CRA represents more than 40, 000 households in the City of Cape Town.
The organisation believes the City has not consulted the public extensively in its proposed 6th Municipal Planning Amendment By-Law.
Bridgette Lloyd, Spokesperson of the CRA and member of the Summergreens Ratepayers’ Association, said “public participation is not merely a bureaucratic exercise; it is a fundamental principle of democracy. It ensures that the voices of those who are most affected by legislative and policy changes are heard and considered. In the context of urban planning, this means that residents have a say in how their neighborhoods are developed, how land is used, and how changes will impact their lives.”
Lloyd said the CRA’s experience with the City of Cape Town’s public participation processes suggests that these processes are treated as formalities rather than genuine opportunities for engagement.
In addition to extending the deadline, the CRA wants the City to commission an Impact Assessment Study (IAS) to evaluate the potential effects of the proposed amendments on various aspects, including the impact on local infrastructure, property values, traffic congestion and service delivery.
Lloyd also said residents in Summer Greens have experienced significant harm due to the city’s failure to enforce its own regulations and the CRA believes that stronger measures are needed to hold those responsible accountable.
In response, Jason Love, the Executive Support Officer, to the Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spacial Planning and the Environment, said “first off, we want to confirm that the current ongoing public participation process about the proposed revisions to the Municipal Planning By-law fully complies with the statutory requirements of the Municipal Systems Act. This plan has been developed in consultation with the City’s public participation unit and agreed on accordingly.”
He said the process started on the 22nd July 2024, allowing residents, stakeholders, interested and affected parties, 60 days to peruse the proposed revisions and additions and to submit comments by the closing date of the 23rd September 2024.
” All of those who want to raise concerns and submit comments on the revisions have time until 23 September to do so. The City remains willing to meet with concerned groups, such as the CRA. We welcome all input and comments.”
Love said once the public participation period has closed on the 23rd September 2024, the officials will collate all of the comments and assess these to see how the proposed bylaw can be further improved and refined, taking into account the concerns and proposals submitted.
Picture: ABB