preliminary draft not for circulation

Chris Hani District MunicipalityLUKHANJI LOCAL MUNICIPALITY

March 2014

PRELIMINARY DRAFTnot for circulation

feasibility and review of housing plan for KOMANI PARK CRUKOMANI PARK CRU

Feasibility and Review of Housing Plan

KOMANI PARK CRUKOMANI PARK CRU

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 15087,Beacon 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: (043) 711- 9735

LUKHANJI LOCAL MUNICIPALITYPrivate Bag X7111, Queenstown, 5320

Tel: (045) 807-2606

Fax: (045) 807-2637

KOMANI PARK CRU FEASIBILITY STUDYCNdV africa (Pty) Ltd 22 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 S.G. 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

BLMC Biodiversity Land Management Class

CBA Critical Biodiversity Area

CRU Community Residential Unit

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 Komani Park CRU 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 twelve Human Settlement Project feasibility reports for Lukhanji Municipality. It is designed so that it can be part of a single document that includes the other eleven 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: Lukhanji Municipality, see Annexure 1

• Property Description: Erven 3664 and 3665, Queenstown

• Title Deed Restrictions: Title Deed to be requested: Deeds office King Williams Town (See

Annexure 2)

• Servitudes: None (See Annexure 3)

• Site Size: Erf 3664 1.1haErf 3665 1.4ha Total: 2.5 ha

• The Komani Park CRU project is an urban project located in Queenstown within Lukhanji Municipality.

• Queenstown is the main administrative, commercial and educational centre of Lukhanji Municipality and surrounding farms. It is located approximately 188km north of East London and 165km south of Aliwal North on the N6 national road, see Fig. 2.1.1.

• Komani Park is a middle to high income suburb in Queenstown , situated south east of Queenstown CBD on Komani Street, south of the railway line, see Fig. 2.1.2.

• The Komani Park CRU Project is proposed to be on two public open space parks within Komani Park, see Fig 2.1.2.

• The first site, Komani Park CRU (a), is an estalished recreational park on Kowie Crescent, in the northern corner of Komani Park. The second site, Komani Park CRU (b), is a public open space south of Komani park, bound by Klaas Smit Rd to the north, Tarka Place to the east and Bashee Road to the south, 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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VISUAL SURVEY Figure 2.1.3

a. POS on Kowie Crescent b. POS on Kowie Cresent from the South c. A view down Klaas Smit Road

d. POS on Klaas Smit Road along western boundary e. POS on Klaas Smit Road along eastern boundary


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STATUS OF HOUSING PROJECTS AND WAITING LISTS 2.2

• The sites are located on Erven 3664 and 3665 Queenstown. They are both shown as public space on General Plan No. 8717, see Annexure 3.

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

• The land currently functions as public open space and as such is owned by Lukhanji Municipality.

• The number of beneficiaries have not yet been proposed for this project.

• Beneficiary waiting list have been requested from the municipality however they are still awaited for this project.

KOMANI PARK CRU

Population (SDF 2005) Not Specified

Population (2011 Census) 1883 (Komani Park)

Ex. Units (SDF 2005) Not Specied

No. Households (Census 2011) 494 (Komani Park)

Proposed Units (EC DHS) Awaited

Waiting List (Lukhanji LM) Awaited

Figure 2.2.1 Statistical Background


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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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ENVIRONMENT 2.5

• There appears to be no wetlands or significant Critical Biodiversity Areas on the proposed CRU sites.

• There are no water courses flowing through or near the sites.

• Housing development would need 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).

• There appears to be no environmental concerns that could impede the Human Settlement Project.


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Environment Figure 2.5.1


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GEO-TECH (Kantey and Templer) 2.6

• 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 suitable for further development of these areas.

• 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.

• In terms of the geotechnical information available, the proposed housing projects appear to be feasible and planning should proceed with further investigations on individual sites. (Outeniqua Geotechnical Services cc, 2013 )


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Geo-tech (Kantey and Templer) Figure 2.6.1

Study Area


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DISTRIBUTION OF SOCIAL FACILITIES 2.7

• Using 1 km walking distance as a measure of efficiency when it comes to proximity to social facilities. The following can be found in Komani Park:

• There is only one school that is within 1 km walking distance from the sites.

• There are a number of primary schools and 2 high schools that are within 2 km from the site.

• There are 2 clinics and a hospital situated within 2 km walking distance.

• The police station is situated in Queenstown CBD.

• The sites are located relatively far from facilities and are more suitable for private car owners. Reliable public transport will be a requirement should the Human Settlement Project commence.


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Distribution of Social Facilities Figure 2.7.1


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CURRENT SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 2.8

• The Lukhanji SDF 2005 proposes the site be utilised for public open space.

• The proposed Human Settlements Project is not in line with the SDF.

• The municipality is currently reviewing its SDF and must seek to incorporate the project into its SDF should it be found suitable to do so. However, it is the recommendation of this report that the properties remain public open space.

• Erf 13120, Victoria Grounds, is located just east of The Mall, Queenstown, abutting the N6 main route on the east entrance of Queenstown.

• Victoria Grounds, owned by the Housing Development Agency, is more suitable for the purposes of the CRU project.

Victoria Grounds: Alternative Site


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Current Spatial Development Framework Figure 2.8.1

The Site


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• The proposed Human Settlement Project represents an undesirable pattern of densification and social integration, by attempting to develop onto an established, functional recreational parks and open space. This is known as “Town-Cramming”.

• It is important that densification happens according to an overall framework that seeks to optimize public transportation and access to business and community facilities and is not “willy-nilly” directed at any piece of open space wherever it may be located in an ad-hoc and opportunistic fashion, see Fig. 2.8.2.

• This kind of approach is likely to have an unnecessarily negative impact on people’s perceptions of property values and create needless resistance to densification.

• Therefore, it is important, that where possible, the public open space is retained in some form and new development faces onto it.

Figure 2.8.2 Avoid "Town-Cramming"

Figure 2.8.3 Preserve well located open spaces


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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.

• The IDP 2013-2014 proposed the upgrading of sanitation infrastructure to the value of R 18.9m and bulk water infrastructure to the value of R26.7m, respectively, a portion of which will be attributed to the Komani Park CRU human settlement project.

No. Project Government Dep./ Other Ilinge in

form

al s

ettle

ment

Unifo

und 7

50

Ezib

ele

ni I

nfo

rmal S

ettle

ment 20

0

Tyld

en 3

00

Ekuphum

leni I

nfo

rmal S

ettle

ments

Zola

Village 7

00

Machib

ini V

illage

Kom

ani P

ark

Zingquth

u V

illage

Kam

ast

one

Yonda

Mchew

ula

Village

Budget '13/'14 Budget '14/'151 Bulk services CHDM R 500 000 R 4000 0002 Sanitation CHDM R 12 000 000 R 6 900 0003 Bucket Eradication CHDM4 Bulk Water Backlog CHDM R 17 700 000 R 9 000 0005 Sewerage Treatment Plant CHDM6 Multi Purpose Sports Centre MIG7 Equipping and Repairing of boreholes OPEX8 Electricty Connection Eskom9 Flood Damages Project DR&PW

10 Construction of Sport Field MIG11 Construction of Community Hall MIG12 Upgrading of Roads MIG13 Greening and Beautification project DoEA

Future Plans of other Sector Departments for Lukhanji Municipality 2013/2014 & 2014/2015


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APPROVAL BY COUNCIL 2.10

• The Council Resolution is awaited for this project.


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SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS 2.11

2.11.1 SUMMARY

• The site was inspected on 25/10/2013 and the conclusions below ground-truthed.

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

• There are no environmental concerns affecting the proposed Human Settlement Project. It should not trigger an EIA.

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

• The waiting list has been requested from the municipality and is still awaited from this project.

• The sites are not in close proximity to facilities. Reliable public transport is a requirement to support the Human Settlement Project.

• The Human Settlement Project is not line with the SDF.

• In general the project represents an undesirable pattern of densification and social integration.

• The Council Resolution is still awaited from the municipality.

2.11.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

• This project is not feasible.

• In light of this assessment it is recommended that the award of subsidies cannot proceed in Komani Park and that an alternative site, that is in close proximity to public transport and work opportunities, be earmarked.

• Erf 13120, Victoria Grounds, is located just east of The Mall, Queenstown, abutting the N6 main route on the east entrance of Queenstown.

• The property is owned by the Housing Development Agency, see Annexure 1b, and is more suitable for the purposes of the CRU project.

• It is approximately 1.3km from the CBD.

• The site is better suited for this kind of project as it is also close to public transport and services.


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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

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