Brackenfell ratepayers who feel locked out of the technical maze of land-use applications now have a new tool in their corner.
The Brackenfell Ratepayers Association launched a purpose-built online public-participation app on 3 September, designed to help residents understand and respond to the Erf 9702 Ruwari land-use application.
About a fortnight ago, Ruwari residents received a notice in terms of the land use management framework of the controversial development planned for Erf 9702, which requires the City to relax three development rules before it can proceed, a request JONO Trust Professional Planners has formally submitted as three departures on the Local Business 2-zoned site.
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The site, which the City itself owns, is earmarked for 115 social rental flats and 31 market GAP units, having been on the cards since 2019. The notice invites affected people to send in objections, comments, or other input, with reasons, by 28 September.
The app will guide residents through a series of questions about the proposed departures and their possible impact, then generates a completed PDF submission ready for the City.
“The association built the app because land-use processes are often intimidating for ordinary residents. Many people want to participate but do not know where to start, what counts as relevant, or how to format their concerns to meet the City’s requirements,” says a spokesperson of BRPA.
“The objective is thus meaningful public participation where residents can engaging with the actual planning issues and submitting informed views, rather than being excluded because the process is too complicated.”
The app does not produce a standard objection for everyone. Residents work through the issues and indicate their own concerns, so each submission reflects that individual’s perspective.
How it works
Residents open the app, enter their details, and work through guided questions covering the proposed departures and the development’s possible impact. The app then generates a completed PDF based on their responses.
“The public version went live after several rounds of testing and refinement to keep the process as simple and reliable as possible,” says the organisation.
The City’s Development Management Scheme sets rules controlling how a property may be developed, covering maximum building height, parking requirements, and the number and spacing of vehicle entrances.
A permanent departure means the applicant is asking the City for permission not to comply fully with one of those normal rules. For Erf 9702, the applicant is seeking three departures in three areas being building height, parking and vehicle entrances or driveway crossings from the street into the property.
The applicant wants permission for the new four-storey buildings next to Kruis Road to reach 12.34 m, 34 cm higher than the limit.
Furthermore, the applicant wants to provide only 127 parking bays, 19 fewer than normallly required. And finally the applicant wants more than two vehicle entrances with some only 9.5 m, 9.4 m and 2.5 m apart instead of 12 m. No more than two carriageway crossings are normally permitted, and they must be at least 12 m apart.
For residents who have followed the Erf 9702 process for years, the issue is about more than just sending in another objection. The main worry is whether these objections will be taken seriously, addressed, and reflected in the final decision.
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“A previous proposal was opposed, many objections were recorded, and the development concept changed. The City then moved to sell the property and launched a new tender process that closed on 18 March with six bidders,” says Peter Gagiano of the BRPA.
“This planning application is another major step in a debate that has lasted for years. The question is still simple, will the City listen?”
The App can be accessed here, the form completed and the PDF sent to the City at comments_objections.northern@capetown.gov.za
