Latest news with #MPBL
IOL News
17-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
How Cape Town is addressing the housing crisis with new planning regulations
Micro-building aims to unlock the potential of affordable rental units Image: Supplied The City of Cape Town has shed more light on its recent changes to the Municipal Planning By-law (MPBL), aimed at unlocking affordable rental accommodation through small-scale, incremental housing developments. On 26 June 2025, Council approved an additional land use right for properties in designated areas, allowing for the development of up to eight small-scale rental units in addition to a main dwelling, or up to 12 rental units if no main dwelling is present. According to City spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo, 'The additional right must be exercised in lieu of the existing right to a second and third dwelling and the property owner will need to make a choice between the new and the existing right.' Tyhalibongo explained that this move forms part of the City's broader approach to managing rapid urbanisation and providing more affordable housing opportunities through legal and safe connections to existing infrastructure. 'This additional right is subject to the payment of a development charge and will not drastically change capacity demands on existing services,' he said. He added, 'It still requires beneficiaries to contribute toward long-term infrastructure upgrades.' To assist micro-developers with these costs, the City launched a Development Charges Fund in March 2024. 'This Fund has enabled the City to subsidise 90% of the development charges typically required of small-scale rental unit developments in low-income areas,' Tyhalibongo said. The fund started with R20 million in capital and is already being used to unlock developments across Cape Town. 'This is helping to unlock small-scale rental unit developments on formal properties in historically disadvantaged areas,' he said. 'In some instances, landowners are developing between six and 12 units on a property.' He noted that the City's policies already promote densification and support incremental housing development. 'We are enabling lower-income households to supplement their incomes, while also helping to meet the demand for affordable housing for those who do not qualify for state-subsidised housing or social housing.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Tyhalibongo stressed that all land use and building plan applications are evaluated individually. 'They are circulated to internal engineering departments for comment, and development contributions are calculated pro-rata depending on the scale of the proposed development,' he said. 'Where existing infrastructure cannot support additional development, further services or road upgrades are required to enable the development.' To support micro-developers further, the City is investing in new tools and reforms to make the process easier and faster. These include local planning support offices, standardised building plan templates, alternative building materials, and work with financial institutions to make microbuilding more accessible. 'The private sector—small-scale developers in particular—are critical to solving our housing crisis. Only the private sector has the capacity to build at the speed and scale required. Government will never have enough money to meet the housing demand alone,' said Tyhalibongo. He added, 'The real problem with unaffordable housing is not greedy landlords. It's that there's not enough housing. The way to make housing more affordable is to build more of it. To do this we need higher densities, more mixed uses, and development in existing nodes and corridors where people are close to jobs and public transport.' He said the City is actively working to enable this shift: 'We are optimising our scarce land, electricity and water capacity to achieve long-term sustainability and access for all residents.' He also pointed to the City's ten-year infrastructure pipeline, valued at R120 billion, which includes major upgrades to wastewater treatment plants, sustainable water supply, energy diversification, and waste management systems. As part of this investment, Tyhalibongo highlighted the R5.4 billion roll-out of Phase 2 of the MyCiTi bus service from Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha to Wynberg and Claremont. 'This project will bring affordable, scheduled public transport to over 35 communities and catalyse job creation and mixed-use investment in the metro-south east.' He added, 'The City is also pushing for the devolution of passenger rail services and is preparing a detailed business plan to be submitted to national government. 'We are making it easier, safer and more cost-effective for more people to legally develop affordable housing and support backyard rentals.' Weekend Argus
IOL News
10-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Transformative vision: multi-use precinct plans unveiled for Strand Street quarry
Residents have submitted their comments on the land use application for the Strand Street Quarry. Image: supplied Plans to redevelop the Strand Street Quarry into a multi-use community precinct have reached the public feedback assessment phase, following the closure of the official comment period on 30 May 2025. The proposed redevelopment—initially presented for public comment on 17 April 2025—aims to transform the site at the corner of Strand and Hudson Streets, and 101 Vos Street, into a hub of sports, tourism, and community activity. The plans include a multi-purpose practice sports field and additional sports courts, the reconfiguration of Metro Police facilities, new tourist attractions such as markets and restaurants, and associated parking infrastructure. The proposal stems from a vision that has been developed in consultation with the community and local stakeholders since 2023. Eddie Andrews, the City's Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, said: 'Currently, the Strand Street quarry is underutilised, and in fact, often occupied by illegal dwellings and used for anti-social behaviour. Thus, the proposed development will in fact improve the general surroundings in terms of safety, cleanliness, aesthetics, and so forth. 'The intention is to transform the quarry site into a multi-use community precinct that integrates sports, culture, economic activities and tourism in a unique setting. Once fully developed, the site must benefit the local communities and Capetonians for generations to come.' Andrews confirmed that the project is still in its early planning stages. 'We are not nearly at this point yet,' he said in response to questions around the budget. The land use application includes the consolidation, subdivision, and rezoning of certain City-owned erven to obtain the necessary development rights. The City will now assess the comments received in terms of the Municipal Planning By-law (MPBL) and relevant policy. 'The comments received will now be assessed in terms of the Municipal Planning By-law (MPBL) and relevant City policies, and if there are objections, a report will be compiled for consideration by the Municipal Planning Tribunal,' Andrews explained. 'Save to say, the application makes provision for phased implementation over time, and by different role-players.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Andrews added that residents and stakeholders have been involved in the process for over two years: 'Residents and stakeholders have been engaged for over two years, and participated in several forums.' Ahead of the public comment period, the City undertook a series of public engagement and regulatory steps, including: A due diligence and concept design process initiated in March 2023 in partnership with local representatives and stakeholders. Public advertising of the first draft concept in November 2023. Environmental and heritage assessments, including a Heritage Impact Assessment tabled with Heritage Western Cape in January 2025. A Living Heritage investigation conducted in unison with the concept design, recording oral histories and the cultural connections of Bo-Kaap residents to the site. 'The application is still being assessed. The City will be able to provide more information once the application process has been concluded in terms of the MPBL,' Andrews concluded. Ossie Shabodien, former chairperson of the Bo-Kaap Ratepayers Civic Association, acknowledged the potential benefits of the redevelopment but raised questions about implementation.
