preliminary draft not for circulation

Amathole District MunicipalityAMAHLATI LOCAL MUNICIPALITY

March 2014

PRELIMINARY DRAFTnot for circulation

feasibility and review of housing plan for MZAMOMHLE MZAMOMHLE 650650

Feasibility and Review of Housing Plan

MZAMOMHLE 650MZAMOMHLE 650

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 ....., East LondonTel; 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

MZAMOMHLE 650 FEASIBILITY STUDYCNdV africa (Pty) Ltd March 22, 2014

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CONTENTS2.1 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 Approval by Council

2.10 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: S.G. Diagram


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CONTENTSGLOSSARY

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

BLMC Biodiversity Land Management Class

CBA Critical Biodiversity Area

ECBCP Eastern Cape Biodiversity Conservation Plan

ECDHS Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlement

EIA Environmental Impact Assessment

GP General Plan

HSP Human Settlement Plan

LM Local Municipality

MHSP Municipal Human Settlement Plan

SA South Africa

SANBI South African National Biodiversity Institute

SDF Spatial Development Framework


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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 Mzamomhle 650 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 four 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 three 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: Unknown, (see annexure 1)

•Property Description: Erven 4199 and Rem. 4198 Stutterheim

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

•Servitudes: None (See Annexure 3)

•Site Size: 60.90 Ha

•Mzamomhle is in Stutterheim within Amahlathi Local Municipality, see Fig. 2.1.1

•Stutterheim 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.

•Mzamomhle township abuts the eastern boundary of the Stutterheim commonage area and is accessed on the main route from Stutterheim CBD through Mlungisi township, see Fig. 2.1.2.

•The study area envisaged for the human settlements project is a In-situ within existing plots.


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Locality PlanFigure 2.1.1


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Aerial Photograph Figure 2.1.2


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VISUAL SURVEYFigure 2.1.3

a. Mzamomhle approach from main road exiting Mlungisi township b. Typical Human Settlement subsidy beneficiary c. Example of a beneficiary who continued build on subsidy plot

d. Mud house built so as to create space for the subsidy unit e. Existing school in Mzamomhle f. Land under threat by more informal extensions.

g. Toilet built on site and awaiting subsidy house


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STATUS OF HOUSING PROJECTS AND WAITING LISTS 2.2

• 650 subsidies have been proposed for Mzamomhle. These units will comprise In-Situ upgrade onto existing erven.

• There are approximately 670 erven.

• The project dates back to the year 2000. When the project was introduced, plots were allocated to individual beneficiaries, however the project was never implemented.

• Over the years beneficiaries began to construct their own houses on plots already allocated to them, due to the slow pace of the project.

• The area is serviced with RDP standard services, however it experiences water shortages from time to time.

• The housing waiting lists have been requested from the municipality and is still awaited for this project.

• The Municipality, as a practice, collects lists once the Human Settlement Project is ready to be implemented in order to avoid creating expectations for beneficiaries and political instability.

• The Census indicated only 315 households present in Mzamomhle suggesting that many residents are living elsewhere, probably in larger settlements or happened to be away.

MZAMOMHLE 650

Population (Amahlathi SDF 2011) Does not mention

Population (2011 Census) 1 259

No. Households (2011 Census) 315

Proposed Subsidies (EC DHS) 650

Waiting List (Amahlathi LM) Awaited

Figure 2.2.1 Statistical Background


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LAND IDENTIFICATION AND OWNERSHIP 2.3

• The land on which the site is located, Erven 4199 and Rem. 4198 Stutterheim, comprises 3 general plans namely G.P. Nos. 959/1997, 818/1997 and 816/1997 see Annexure 3.

• The Title Deed has been requested at the Deeds Office in King Williams Town.

• The land is occupied by households who will benefit from the Human Settlement Project.


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Cadastral LayoutFigure 2.3.1


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ENGINEERING (Kantey & 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 & Templer)Figure 2.4.1


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• The project will consist of the award of individual subsidies to beneficiaries on existing plots, with existing roads and buildings on an approved General Plan. There are no extensions on greenfield land proposals.

• 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 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.

• However, it can be seen on Fig. 2.5.1 that CBA 2 is shown as extending over most of the urban areas of Mlungisi Township including Mzamomhle. This is clearly incorrect and the mapping of CBA 2 in this vicinity has not been ground truthed and amended.

• A watercourse flows through Mzamomhle from the north-east. The existing cadastral provides for abutting open space as a river corridor.

• 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).

• It is not considered likely that an EIA will be required.

ENVIRONMENT 2.5


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EnvironmentFigure 2.5.1


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GEO-TECH (Kantey & Templer) 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 (Kantey & Templer)Figure 2.6.1


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DISTRIBUTION OF SOCIAL FACILITIES 2.7

• There is only one Primary school in Mzamomhle.

• The residents share facilities with Mlungisi where a newly constructed Mlungisi Community Commercial Park is now in operation.

• The health facilities are shared with Mlungisi Township approximately 1 km from Mzamomhle. This is within the 1 km walking distance.

• Mzamomhle is serviced by a police station in Stutterheim town (off the map).

• This proposed Human Settlement Project will not require provision of additional facilities.


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Distribution of Social FacilitiesFigure 2.7.1


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CURRENT SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 2.8

• Mzamomhle has been incorporated within the Stutterheim Urban Edge and it is in line with the SDF proposals.

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


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Current Spatial Development Framework Figure 2.8.1


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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 2.9

• Awaiting Council Resolution


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SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS 2.10

2.10.1 SUMMARY

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

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

• In Terms of ECBCP BLMCs that apply to CBA 2 that covers the site, settlements are not recommended. However, the extent of the CBA 2 in and around Mzamomhle and Mlungisi is clearly inaccurate as it is indicated as covering all of the developed areas. It is recommended that the site be assessed by a Botanist to ground-truth the extent of the CBA 2 on the site prior to commencing with the Human Settlement Project. It is unlikely that an EIA will be required.

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

• The project comprises 650 subsidy units onto existing erven.

• 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.

2.10.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

• The project is feasible, pending a technical a technical assessment by a Botanist to ground truth the extent of the CBA 2 on the site.

• In light of this assessment it is recommended that the award of subsidies can proceed in Mzamomhle.


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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


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preliminary draft not for circulation

Documents

new project site

registered general plan

greenfields project

infill project

project sites

project larger

plots of land

land identification