Human Settlements

(a) The department began the planning process for the De Novo property after receiving a Power of Attorney from the property owner, Western Cape Department of Transport & Public Works (DTPW) in 2019 following the appointment of a Professional Service Provider (PSP) Consulting Team in December 2018.The town planning work culminated in a preferred layout design which initially made provision for various land uses on the De Novo property including residential. The environmental authorisation process also proceeded well with specialist studies undertaken as needed and the Water Use Licence (WULA) process being initiated.  

During the required engineering investigations it became apparent that the existing bulk infrastructure networks and equipment currently located on the De Novo property are not well maintained and need to be repaired and brought up to an standard that will be accepted by the relevant local authority. Such repairs and maintenance of the existing bulk networks and equipment are prerequisites before the Stellenbosch Municipality, the Local Authority within which the De Novo property is located, will consider any and all land use applications for future development on the De Novo property.

To address the above bulk infrastructure related issue and to determine the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders in terms of the repairs of the current bulk networks and the provision of new bulk infrastructure capacity for future development on the De Novo property, the department facilitated numerous engagements with relevant stakeholders.

These engagements included three formal letters, two workshops and two specific bulk infrastructure related meetings between the City of Cape Town, (the authority currently providing bulk infrastructure capacity to the property), Stellenbosch Municipality, (the authority that would be responsible for maintaining the bulk infrastructure should the LUPA approval be obtained) and DTPW as the property owner.

Preliminary calculations of bulk infrastructure capacity have estimated that approximately R 19,7 million, excluding electric supply costs, will be needed to provide additional bulk capacity for the preferred future development option. The department in collaboration with the DTPW has obtained a quotation for the investigation and estimation of funding that will be needed to repair and bring the current bulk networks and equipment up to an acceptable standard.

 The land use application for the subdivision and rezoning of the De Novo property cannot be submitted to the Stellenbosch Municipality until such time as the bulk infrastructure constraints are resolved and neither can environmental authorisation be obtained from the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEADP) for the same reason.

In response, the department and DTWP is currently simplifying the preferred layout design to reduce overall project costs and to streamline the proposed development to mitigate some of the bulk infrastructure capacity constraints, as well as proceeding with the above noted investigation of the existing bulk networks and equipment and the cost estimates for needed repair work.

Once the bulk capacity constraints and layout redesign have been resolved, the land use planning and environmental authorisation processes can be completed, and development rights can be put in place to proceed with development on the property. It is envisaged to conclude this process by October 2021.

(b) A total of 374 residential units have been applied for the De Novo project. The 374 residential opportunities comprise 74 existing houses and an additional 300 new housing opportunities which is intended to be fully subsidised “Breaking New Ground” (BNG) type units.  

3. The housing “segment or spectrum” that is envisaged to be provided in the De Novo project will be the typical “BNG” housing unit. The following land uses are planned for in the De Novo project, namely:
   1. 374 Residential garden plots.
   2. 1 Local Business plot.
   3. 1 School plot.
   4. 1 Child Care Village plot.
   5. 1 Community Facility plot (Rehabilitation Centre).
   6. 1 Private Open Space plot (Cemetery).
   7. 1 Community Facility plot (Social Facilities).
   8. Dam and various watercourses.
   9. Various roads.   
4. The municipality has confirmed that in December 2001 a land use application (including rezoning and subdivision) for the property was submitted to the Stellenbosch Municipality by the Dennis Moss Partnership for the development of the following land uses, namely:
   10. New residential erven.
   11. Commercial/ Mix use erven.
   12. Existing Residential erven.
   13. New Church Property.
5. 14. Institutional erven (Existing and New Schools).
   15. Reserve Zone (Residential/ Tourist related business erven).
   16. Retirement Village.
   17. Public Open Space erven.
   18. Existing Agricultural erven.

The initial phase of this land use application applied for the subdivision of 337 residential erven.  This land use application was not successful at the time.

Following the above unsuccessful land use application, the DHS began investigations of the De Novo property in 2014, which then resulted in a funding approval in 2019 for current the planning process for the property mentioned above.