amathole district municipality amahlathi local municipality march 2014 preliminary draft not for...

Amathole District MunicipalityAMAHLATHI LOCAL MUNICIPALITY

March 2014

PRELIMINARY DRAFTnot for circulation

feasibility and review of housing plan for MLUNGISI 2500MLUNGISI 2500

Feasibility and Review of Housing Plan

MLUNGISI 2500MLUNGISI 2500

March 2014

by

prepared for

CNdV africa (Pty) Ltdenvironmental planning, urban design, landscape architecture

17 New Church Street Cape Town 8000Tel: 021 424-5022 Fax: 021 424-6837

Kantey & TemplerPO Box 15087Beacon Bay, 5205Tel: 041 373-0738

IQ Vision110 Sarel Cillier Street, Strand, 7140Tel: 021 853-3902

EASTERN CAPE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS 31-33 Phillip Frame Road ChiselhurstTel: +27 (0) 43 711 9735

AMAHLATHI LOCAL MUNICIPALITY12 McClean Street, Stutterheim, 4930

Tel: (043) 683-5000

Fax: (043) 683-1127

MLUNGISI 2500 FEASIBILITY STUDYCNdV africa (Pty) Ltd 18 April 2023

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CONTENTS

2.1 INTRODUCTION

2.1.2 Purpose of the Report

2.1.2 Background of this Report

2.1.3 Terms of Reference

2.1.4 Background to Settlement

2.2 Status of Housing Project and Waiting List

2.3 Land Identification and Ownership

2.4 Engineering

2.5 Environment

2.6 Geo-tech

2.7 Distribution of Social Facilities

2.8 Current Spatial Development Framework

2.9 Future Plans of Other Sector Departments

2.10 Approval by Council

2.11 Summary and Recommendations

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1 .1 Locality Plan

Figure 2.1.2 Aerial Photograph

Figure 2.1.3 Visual Survey

Figure 2.2.1 Statistical Background

Figure 2.3.1 Cadastral Layout

Figure 2.4.1 Engineering

Figure 2.5 .1 Environment

Figure 2.6.1 Geo-tech

Figure 2.7.1 Distribution of Social Facilities

Figure 2.8.1 Current Spatial Development Framework

LIST OF ANNEXURESAnnexure 1 OwnershipAnnexure 2 Title DeedAnnexure 3 Surveyor General diagram


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CONTENTS

GLOSSARY

Informal Site: A Site occupied by a household or to which a household has customary rights, e.g. Permission to occupy (PTO, no longer formally in use) or community agreement via a meeting of elders including headman or chief.

Formal Site: A site occupied by a household or to which a household is entitled to have a registered right recorded at the Deeds Registry with a title deed and surveyors diagram and/or registered General Plan. However, in many instances title deeds have not been issued nor ownership registered.

In-Situ upgrade project: Formalising of tenure and installation of services and possibly also construction of a subsidised dwelling on land on which people are already living. Generally refers to a project larger than one unit.

Greenfields project: New project site which there has been no formal or informal settlement, industry, infrastructure to date. Project sites are often outside of existing urban development.

Infill Project: New project site within existing urban development usually on under utilised or vacant land and which often can help to promote physical integration between spatially isolated parts of the settlement.

Rectification projects: Repair or rebuilding of defective existing houses built through one or other government housing program.

Erven: The plural of ‘erf’ meaning plots of land each registered as an ‘erf’ in a deeds registry and forming part of a registered General Plan.

Plots: The plural of ‘plot’ meaning unregistered pieces of land informally laid out.

Portion: A plot of land forming part of a proposed or approved (by LM Council) subdivision layout but which has not yet been registered by the Surveyor General as a general plan and for which erf numbers have not yet been registered.

ACRONYMS

ECDHS Eastern Cape Department of Human SettlementEIA Environmental Impact AssessmentGP General PlanHSP Human Settlement PlanLM Local Municipality MHSP Municipal Human Settlement PlanSA South AfricaSANBI South African National Biodiversity InstituteSDF Spatial Development FrameworkECBCP Eastern Cape Biodiversity Conservation PlanBLMC Basic Land Management Class


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INTRODUCTION 2.1

2.1.1 PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

The purpose of this report is to describe the key elements to be taken into account when assessing the feasibility of MLUNGISI 2500 as a Human Settlement Project and to recommend whether it should be approved or not.

2.1.2 BACKGROUND TO THIS REPORT

This report is one of ten Human Settlement Project feasibility reports for AMAHLATHI Municipality. It is designed so that it can be part of a single document that includes the other five projects.

2.1.3 TERMS OF REFERENCE (Part C.3 Scope of work Tender No. SCMU11-12/13-A0240)

The project terms of reference for the feasibility report are summarised as follows:

Ascertain the feasibility of the project within each MHSP. The study shall reveal the developmental opportunities and constraints in relation to:

1. Determination of housing demand and potential beneficiary status

2. Land identification and ownership3. Availability of bulk services and confirmation of capacity4. Environmental conditions;5. Geo-technical conditions6. Alignment with Municipal Spatial Planning7. Visual survey (area visits)8. Future development plans of other sector departments 9. Provision of recommendation and proposals to ECDHS

2.1.4 BACKGROUND TO SETTLEMENT

•Registered Owner: Amahlathi Municipality

•Property Description: Erf 1214 (Portion of Erf 738) (See Annexure 2), and portion of Erf 477

•Title Deed Restrictions: Title Deed requested from KWT Deeds Office (See Annexure 2)

•Servitudes: Power line servitude (See Annexure 3)

•Current Zoning: Unknown

•Site Size: 82.02 Ha

•Mlungisi 2500 is located in Stutterheim within Amahlathi Municipality.

•Stutterheim is the main administrative, service and industrial centre of Amahlathi Municipality. It has an overall population of 24 673 people and is situated about 84 km north of East London and about 50 km south of Cathcart along the N6 road. see Fig, 2.1.1.

•Mlungisi township is situated to the east of the railway line in Stutterheim. The study area envisaged for the human settlements project is a green field site south of Mlungisi township below the existing cemetery, see Fig. 2.1.2


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Locality Plan Figure 2.1.1


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Aerial Photograph Figure 2.1.2


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a. A view from the CBD across railway line and river to Mlungisi on far hills b. A view of the bridge crossing over the Cumakala River c. Winding access down site deep slope to the Stutterheim CBD in background

d. A view of the greenfield site from the CBD, Mlungisi to left of photo e. The new Mlungisi Community Commercial Park that will service Mlungisi. f. Flatter land in bend of Cumakala better located closer to CBD

VISUAL SURVEY Figure 2.1.3


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STATUS OF HOUSING PROJECTS AND WAITING LISTS 2.2

• 2500 subsidies have been proposed for Mlungisi.

• The proposed housing project’s delivery strategy and housing instrument is project linked subsidy into existing greenfield.

• Currently, There are 1546 beneficiaries on the waiting list submitted as of 23-01-14 and verified.

MLUNGISI 2500

Population (Amahlathi SDF 2011) Does not mention

Population (2011 Census) 1 259

No. Households (at 4/hh) 315

Proposed Subsidies (EC DHS) 600

Waiting List (Amahlathi LM) 1546

Figure 2.2.1 Statistical Background


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LAND IDENTIFICATION AND OWNERSHIP 2.3

• The land on which the site is located Erf 2254, is privately owned, as described in the deed of title T1976/1981, see Annexure 1 and 2 (Ownership and Title Deed).

• The land is depicted on Surveyor Diagram No. 740/79 registered with the Surveyor – General Office on 2/05/1979, see Annexure 3 (S.G Diagram).

• The S.G. Diagram reflects an electric power line servitude that cuts through the site diagonally from the north-west side of the site boundary, in an south-easterly direction approximately 400m – 500m before sharply cutting and running parallel to the southern boundary toward the eastern boundary of the site, see Annexure 3. (S.G Diagram).

• The size of the site is 82.2 Ha. At an average density of 40du/Ha with an individual plot size of 250m², 1 986 units can be constructed onto the site not withstanding the 800m buffer from the Waste Water Treatment Works proposed by the Amahlathi SDF south west of the site, see Fig. 2.7.1 and 2.8.1. The project may have to reduce the number of beneficiaries or increase the average density to 52 du/Ha at an individual plot size of 195m² in order to accommodate 2500 units.

• The S.G. Diagram indicates an electrical servitude running through the site. These powerlines are active at 11kV.


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Cadastral Layout Figure 2.3.1


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ENGINEERING (Kantey and Templer) 2.4

BULK SERVICES Existing Services

....

INTERNAL SERVICES Existing Services

....

GEOTECHNICAL CONDITIONS....

EXISTING INTERNAL SERVICES ARE ADEQUATE AND REQUIRE NO UPGRADING

Await K&T

TOP STRUCTURE....

TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT...

ROADS AND ACCESSIBILITY...

THE PROJECT IS FEASIBLE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS.


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Engineering (Kantey and Templer) Figure 2.4.1


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• The study area envisaged for the human settlements project is a greenfield site south of Mlungisi township below the existing cemetery.

• The Eastern Cape Biodiversity Plan (ECBCP), 2007 has developed four terrestrial Biodiversity Land Management Classes (BLMCs) according to the terrestrial Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs). Each BLMC sets out the desired ecological state that the area should be kept in to ensure biodiversity persistence.

• The site falls within CBA 2 as per SANBI data (2007) and therefore is subject to BLMC 2 guidelines according to the ECBCP. This must be ground-truthed by a Professional Botanist prior to undertaking the Human Settlement Project.

• BLMC 2 permits the land to be used for Conservation, Game Farming and Communal Livestock. Settlements are not recommended for these areas, see Fig. 2.5.1.

• The site slopes gradually down to Cumakala River flowing along the western boundary of the site.

• 2 watercourses flow through the site. A watercourse flows across the north-western corner of the site and drains into the Cumakala River and another flows across the north-eastern corner of the site.

• Housing development needs to ensure that it remains 32m from the River or watercourse so as to avoid triggering NEMA EIA Regulations, namely Listing No. 40 as identified in the Government Notice R. 344 (Listing Notice 1). In which, a basic assessment would be required for:

– The expansion of:

(i) jetties by more than 50 square metres;

(ii) slipways by more than 50 square metres; or

(iii) buildings by more than 50 square metres

(iv) infrastructure by more than 50 square metres within a watercourse or within 32 metres of a watercourse, measured from the edge of a watercourse, but excluding where such expansion will occur behind the development setback line.

ENVIRONMENT 2.5


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Environment Figure 2.5.1


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GEO-TECH 2.6

• In terms of the geotechnical information available the following is extracted from a report by Outeniqua Geotechnical Services cc, 2013 .

• Some potential geotechnical constraints have been identified for further investigation which may have an impact on the extent of the developable land and/or the development costs.

• The recommended typical foundations for subsidy housing are conventional strip foundations or light rafts to cater for variations in soil profile and minor soil movements.

• On sloping terrain, some earthworks and retaining walls may be required to create level platforms for houses and this can have significant cost implications.

• Foundations should be placed on well compacted natural soil, engineered fill or rock. Founding conditions will have to be inspected by the engineer to confirm suitable soil conditions with adequate bearing capacity and to check for any seepage or groundwater problems.

• Preliminary and Phase 1 geotechnical site investigations are required to obtain a more accurate evaluation of the development potential of each site, but the initial indications are that the geology is unlikely to pose a significant threat to the further development of these areas.


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Geo-tech Figure 2.6.1

The Site


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DISTRIBUTION OF SOCIAL FACILITIES 2.7

• The site is cut off from the surrounding settlements by the Cumakala River and its tributaries as well as by the cemetery from Cumakala and the existing Mlungisi township.

• Social Facilities such as schools and clinic are located in the existing township a distance of about 1- 2 km north of the site.

• The police station is situated within Stutterheim town.

• The project will benefit mainly people who already reside in Mlunigisi township, therefore no new facilities will be required for the Human Settlement Project.

• There are two potential access roads to the site:

− Existing access road from Stutterheim CBD across Cumakala River through Mlungisi and around the cemetery; and,

− Gravel track that crosses the Cumakala south of Stutterheim CBD and them winds its way along the valley to the south. From this route there is a track following disused railway line embankment which provides culvert crossings of the two river tributaries to the east.


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Distribution of Social Facilities Figure 2.7.1


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CURRENT SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 2.8

• The Amahlathi SDF proposes high density residential development on the site, see Fig. 2.8.1.

• The north – eastern portion of the site falls outside the urban edge of Stutterheim. If it is intended to develop the entire site it may be necessary to request for the amendment of the SDF to incorporate the entire erf within the urban edge. However, this portion of the site, east of the railway embankment, is undulating and cut by two tributaries and will be more expensive to develop.

• Adequate buffers from existing river courses are proposed on the SDF plan for Stutterheim, see Fig. 2.8.1.

• The western portion of the site is affected by a proposed 800m set back lines from the WWTW. Note: in the W. Cape this line is normally 500m from a WWTW.

• The Proposed Human Settlement Project is in line with the SDF if the boundary of the site is amended to take these constraints into account.


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Current Spatial Development Framework Figure 2.8.1

The Site


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FUTURE PLANS OF OTHER SECTOR DEPARTMENTS 2.9

• The following table indicates the future plans of other sector departments proposed in the various settlements as contained in the IDP 2013-2014.

• There are currently no projects envisaged for the financial years 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 in the Human Settlement Project areas. Projects indicated are projects that were planned for the 2012/2013 financial year.


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APPROVAL BY COUNCIL 2.10

• Awaiting Council Resolution


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SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS 2.11

2.11.1 SUMMARY

•The site was inspected on 03/12/2013 and the conclusions below ground-truthed.

•The western part of the site falls steeply down to the Cumakal River. The eastern portion, east of the disused railway embankment is also steep and undulating. Therefore, it is proposed that the site boundary be amended as shown in Figure 2.11.1.

•A linkage site on the abutting property that provides the opportunity to make the new development contiguous and strengthens the route to the civic centre should also be considered. This will add another ……... Hectares to the site.

•There are adequate engineering services. (K&T to confirm)

•In Terms of ECBCP BLMCs that apply to CBA 2, settlements are not recommended. It is recommended that the site be assessed by a Botanist to verify and ground-truth the CBA nature of the site prior to the Human Settlement Project implementation.

•A detailed geo-technical site visit inspection and, if necessary, survey will be required prior to the project commencing.

•The project comprises 2500 subsidy units onto existing greenfield.

•Awaiting beneficiary list from the municipality.

•There are no new social facilities required to support the proposed human settlements project.

•The Human Settlement Project is in line with the SDF.

•Awaiting Council Resolution from the municipality.

2.11.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

•The project is feasible pending a technical assessment by a Botanist to verify the CBA status of the site and if the site boundaries are amended as shown.

•The possibilities of extending the site to create a corridor to Mlungisi civic centre should be investigated.

•In light of this assessment it is recommended that the award of subsidies can proceed for the Mlungisi 2500 project.

Figure 2.11.1 Proposed amendments to site boundary


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ANNEXURE 1: OWNERSHIP PRINTOUT


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ANNEXURE 2: TITLE DEED


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ANNEXURE 3: SURVEYOR GENERAL DIAGRAM

amathole district municipality amahlathi local municipality march 2014 preliminary draft not for...

Documents

engineering figure

environment figure

new project site

locality plan figure

geotech figure

statistical background

greenfields project

infill project