Infrastructure
(1) (a) What is the breakdown of the total cost incurred by the Western Cape Government in litigation expenses regarding the development of social housing on the Tafelberg site and (b) how does this expenditure align with the government’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and to addressing housing inequality;
(2) (a) what factors continue to delay the development of social housing on the Tafelberg site, (b) when will development plans be implemented on the site, (c) what is the specific timeline for the commencement of construction and the provision of affordable housing units and (d) what measures are in place to speed up the process of providing affordable housing to residents of the province;
(3) (a) what is the Province’s plan for the site in terms of the reactivation of a school facility as an urban public school, identified in the Preliminary Key Development Elements alongside spatial transformation and the development of affordable housing in the invitation for an exploration process on the Tafelberg site, (b) why is the reactivation of a school facility prioritised over the urgent need for social housing and (c) what criteria were used to determine this priority?
(5) (1)(a) As a result of the litigation brought against the Western Cape Government for the setting aside of the Tafelberg site disposal, a total cost amounting to R5,954,181.29 was incurred in litigation expenses.
(1)(b) The litigation expenses were a consequence of litigation initiated by various parties against the Western Cape Government in relation to the disposal of the Tafelberg site, consultation processes with the National Government and the constitutionality of a key regulation of the Western Cape Land Administration Act, all of crucial importance to the Western Cape Government. As detailed in 2(d) below the Department of Infrastructure continues to prioritise the provision of affordable housing within the Province.
(2)(a) The Western Cape Government through its Department of Infrastructure has appointed a team of built-environment specialists to investigate and assess the potential development options for this property and advise on the way forward to ensure that the property reaches its highest and best potential in serving the wider communities of the Western Cape and the objectives of the Western Cape Government. This has to be done in line with applicable spatial policies and legislated frameworks.
(b) The applicable statutory process to acquire appropriate development approval has to be followed. The first step in the process is the call for Interested and Affected Parties to register so that a database can be created to facilitate engagements with the public for sharing and gathering of information.
(c) Any future development on the property will be informed by approvals obtained from the enablement process as initiated which will involve the Interested and Affected Parties as well as serving the objectives of the Western Cape Government.
(d) The Department of Infrastructure continues to prioritise the provision of affordable housing within the Province. This includes both the provision of rental tenure through the social housing programme as well as assisting first time home buyers through the First Home Finance programme. The current social housing pipeline makes provision for multiple projects within the Metro area, along with a number of projects within leader towns outside the Metro.
(3)(a)(b)&(c) The possible use of the site for school purposes is only one possibility.The need for school facilities in the greater Sea Point area is identified in the City of Cape Town’s Table Bay District Spatial Development Framework an extract from which is provided below. The building (known as the Ellerslie Building Complex) is a declared protected heritage asset and therefore provides for limited re-use and internal refurbishment for a school and related facilities. The portion being explored as ‘school’ represents only a portion of the property.
Ensure sufficient community facilities to support inclusion | Promote the integration of community facilities to address shortfalls in the area in accordance with community facility planning which indicates shortfalls of a primary school and high school in the Sea Point area. |
New Development Area 1 Tafelberg School Site | Support the development of the Tafelberg School site as a mixed-use development with potential to incorporate social facilities (education), residential development and active street front uses, paying particular attention to the need for future school facilities in the Sea Point area. |
