THE Kouga Council has declared a six-month amnesty period for the payment of fines and penalties related to incomplete or incorrect building plans under the National Building Regulations Act, Act 103 of 1977.<\/p>\n
This amnesty also applies to situations where inspection for occupation certificates was not requested.<\/p>\n
The amnesty period will run from 1 July to 31 December 2024, and will apply only to building work that existed or started before this period.<\/p>\n
Kouga Executive Mayor, Hattingh Bornman, said the move was prompted by numerous requests from property owners and industry roleplayers to be exempted from fines and penalties for non-compliance with national building regulations imposed on them for failing to comply with the national building regulations.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring this period, individuals will have the opportunity to come forward, address any non-compliance issues, and regularise their building status without fear of heavy fines or punitive measures,\u201d said Bornman.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe non-compliance is not always the fault of the current property owner; hence, council\u2019s resolution to declare an amnesty period. In some instances, previous owners built, extended, or altered their properties without building plans having been submitted or approved.\u201d<\/p>\n
He noted that various factors contribute to non-compliance, including architects or draftsmen not always returning building plans to the municipality for final approval.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are also properties in use without occupation certificates, as the final building inspections were never concluded,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese fines and penalties will be waived during the amnesty period. However, the normal application approval fees will still apply and be payable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Building plans for unauthorised structures submitted through this process will be subject to inspections by the municipality\u2019s building control section. Any structures that do not meet the required standards will not be approved until the necessary corrections are made.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach case will be dealt with on merit, and the municipality remains the final decision-maker,\u201d said Bornman.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that this amnesty period will not only benefit individuals seeking to rectify past errors, but also contribute to a safer and more compliant built environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
All submissions for exemptions must be put in writing and emailed to the Department: Planning and Development at adminbuildingcontrol@kouga.gov.za, plansexaminers@kouga.gov.za, and inspections@kouga.go.za.<\/p>\n
Alternatively, they can be hand-delivered to the department at the municipality\u2019s office in Woltemade Street, Jeffreys Bay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Kouga Council has declared a six-month amnesty period for the payment of fines and penalties related to incomplete or incorrect building plans under the National Building Regulations Act, Act 103 of 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