preliminary draft not for circulation

Amathole District MunicipalityNKONKOBE LOCAL MUNICIPALITY

March 2014

PRELIMINARY DRAFTnot for circulation

feasibility and review of housing plan for BALFOUR 600BALFOUR 600

Feasibility and Review of Housing Plan

BALFOUR 600BALFOUR 600

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

NKONKOBE LOCAL MUNICIPALITYPrivate Bag X31008, Cambridge, 5206

Tel: (043) 711-9800

Fax: (043) 711-9785

BALFOUR 600 FEASIBILITY STUDYCNdV africa (Pty) Ltd 21 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 Extent of General Plan

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 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 BALFOUR 600 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 five Human Settlement Project feasibility reports for Nkonkobe Municipality. It is designed so that it can be part of a single document that includes the other four 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: Await Title Deed from EC Deeds Office

•Property Description: Erf 840, Alice

•Title Deed Number: Await Title Deed from EC Deeds Office

•Servitudes: Yes

•Current Zoning: To follow

•Site Size: 51.13 Ha

•Balfour is a small village the lies on the foot of the Katberg Mountain, see Figure 2.1.1.

•It is located approximately 37.7km north of Fort Beaufort and 111km south of Queenstown along the R67.

•Most dwellings are located on three extensions around the railway station buildings which comprise the project site, see Figure 2.1.2.

•The village began as a mission station in 1828 and was the scene of much fighting during the frontier wars.

•Most residential buildings comprise either wattle and daub or clay brick mainly from previous subsidy schemes, see figure 2.1.3.


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Locality Plan Figure 2.1.1


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Aerial Photograph Figure 2.1.2


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VISUAL SURVEY Figure 2.1.3

Large open spaces

Balfour village from the R345 Subsidised housing units: pre 1994 Wattle and daub structures laid out in dispersed manner

A typical subsidy unit Subsidised housing units: pre 1994 Example of erosion

Typical subsidy beneficiary in Balfour


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STATUS OF HOUSING PROJECTS AND WAITING LISTS 2.2

• 600 housing subsidies have been proposed for Balfour. These 600 units will be project linked subsidies onto existing erven in the three extensions, see Figure 2.1.2.

• Housing waiting lists have been verified and a total of 398 beneficiaries have been identified for Balfour.

• It appears officials had experienced challenges with the collection of beneficiary lists as these were not forthcoming from the ward councillors.

BALFOUR 600

Population (Nkonkobe SDF 2010) Not specified

Population (2011 Census) 3102

Approximate No. Households (assume 4pp/hh)

± 775

Proposed Subsidies (EC DHS) 600

Waiting List (Nkonkobe LM) 398 beneficiaries

Figure 2.2.1 Statistical Background


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LAND IDENTIFICATION AND OWNERSHIP 2.3

• The land on which Balfour is located, Farm 425 Balfour, is owned by..., see Annexure 1

• Almost all beneficiaries reside on erven demarcated on the following General Plans, see Figure 2.3.1 and Annexures 1 and 2:

– C 136/1989– C 138/1989– C 140/1989

• The General Plans were approved on 7 July 1996.


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Extent of General Plan 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

Await K&T


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ENVIRONMENT 2.5

• Balfour is located north of Nkonkobe Municipality a little off from the R351 gravel between Fort Beaufort and Cathcart.

• It sits in a valley, on gently sloping land down to the Buxton River that passes through the west of Balfour, see figure 2.5.1.

• The properties concerned are all located in existing approved townships with existing roads away from watercourses and wetlands.

• 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 other natural areas 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.

• There are no wetlands or proclaimed arable lands of concern nearby.

• The largest water course is the Buxton River which appear to be perennial, however it has no impact on housing development in the town.

• 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). Should the development require a buffer less than 32m, a basic assessment will 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.

However, the proposed subsidies will all be located on existing approved erven and so no EIA will be triggered.

• There are no environmental concerns affecting the proposed Human Settlement Project.


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Environment Figure 2.5.1


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GEO-TECH (Kantey and 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 and Templer) Figure 2.6.1

The Site


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DISTRIBUTION OF SOCIAL FACILITIES 2.7

• Balfour is well served with social facilities, see Figure 2.7.1.

• Balfour has a clinic and 3 primary schools that feed into the High School in Balfour.

• The police station servicing Balfour is within easy walking distance to the north-west of the access road to the settlement.

• All facilities are within a 1 to 2 km from where people reside.

• The project is aimed at existing beneficiaries already catered for by the facilities.

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


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Distribution of Social Facilities Figure 2.7.1


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CURRENT SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 2.8

• The town of Balfour is seen to be under settlement zone B for densification and formalisation.

• It is envisaged by the 2013 SDF as a rural node, see Figure 2.8.1.

• No detailed spatial proposals for Balfour and its surrounds are indicated in the SDF.

• The SDF goes on to further break down the zone into Model 1 and formalisation settlement zone, envisaged for upgrading of existing settlement to that of a small service centre hub likened to that of Seymour. (Nkonkobe 2013 SDF, page 75)

• The project is in line with the SDF.


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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 government interventions proposed in the various settlements as contained in the IDP 2013-2014.


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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 24/10/2013 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. 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 600 subsidy units onto existing plots.

•A total of 398 people have been identified on the 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 assessment by a Botanist to verify the CBA nature of the site.

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


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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

status of housing project

plots of land