PLETTENBERG BAY RATEPAYERS ASSOCIATION TOWN PLANNING PORTFOLIO ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Growth Continues

Bitou Municipality continued to experience further growth during the year, with the tourist industry  recovering from Covid 19 and bringing a continuous stream of tourists, both local and international, to the town. In addition, with new residents arriving from upcountry and from the Eastern Cape, the town continues to prove to be a popular new home for retirees and those families who are able to work remotely, or undertake weekly commutes, as well as for new local service providers.

In 2022, the town’s population was estimated to be 71,253 and it is now one of the fastest growing towns both in the Garden Route and in the country, with the population estimated to be growing at an annual rate of at 2.9% in 2021 (Figure 1).

Of concern, the unemployment rate in the town, by the widest definition, has risen from 20% in 2011 to 32% in 2021 (Figure 2) . Although this mirrors the national figures, in Bitou’s case, it also reflects that insufficient jobs are being created for newcomers to the town, despite the growth in the town. An appropriate business development plan, commensurate with the towns character and with its tourist industry, needs to be implemented to address these issues.

Insert population growth and unemployment diagrams

Figure 1- Population Growth                                             Figure 2 -Unemployment

 

Diagrams need to be edited, simplified and tidied up,.

Source – Population  https://www.bitou.gov.za/sites/default/files/2023-07/bitou_local_municipal_integrated_development_plan_2022_-_2027.pdf - P 25

Source-unemployment PDF documenthttps://www.westerncape.gov.za/provincial-treasury/sites/provincial-treasury.westerncape.gov.za/files/atoms/files/Bitou%20Municipality%20SEP-LG%202022.pdfDownload   P6

 

During the year, your Association monitored or reviewed over ninety applications or proposals for disposal or development (rezoning, consolidation, subdivision or departures from zoning scheme terms). This excludes plans submitted for regular new residential builds and alterations, which continue apace, as witnessed by the high level of activity in the town’s building industry. Very clearly, the landscape of Bitou will continue to change over the years as new house builds, renovations, housing estates, retirement facilities and retail centres are underway or in planning.

The Past Year

Recent visitors to the town will have noted a significant facelift to the Main Street, including the completion of the Plett Quarter Apartments and Hotel, as well as the new home for Market off Main on Sewell street.

During the year, the first phase to replace informal housing in Qolweni was completed, with more formal and modernised housing in the form of apartment blocks, a welcome upgrade to this category of housing. Between 2022 and 2023, the Municipality identified 28 Municipal properties for disposal, but not all has gone well. None of ten properties tendered for disposal, from the 2022 list, were sold, as reportedly no market related offers were received. Although the Association supports the need to dispose of municipal properties that are surplus to needs, there is considerable room for improvement in the disposal process, for in addition, some of the properties, identified for sale in 2023, apparently are encumbered with questionable contractual or title obligations. Accordingly, there is widespread concern at the municipality’s capacity and ability to manage and appropriately direct the town’s growth.   This has been brought to the attention of the Municipality.

On an administrative level, the new Bitou Zoning Scheme was published in the government gazette on 28 July 2023. Each year, your Association submits proposals to Bitou’s Integrated Development Plan and this year we are pleased to report that many of the recommendations we made in 2022 have  been addressed by the Municipality. A number of our proposals that are of a long term nature or are infrastructure replacement programmes (eg replacement of aged asbestos main water pipes) had seen only limited progress, mainly due to the Municipality’s financial constraints. It is hoped that as the Municipal finances improve, that progress will be accelerated on these essential infrastructure and maintenance programmes.

Coming To Your Area Soon

As new builds continue throughout the town, the landscape is likely to see changes in the coming years, noticeably and most welcome is SANRAL and the Municipality’s intention to upgrade the often congested N2 and Beacon Way intersection, by constructing a traffic circle in 2024.

Judging by progress on applications we have seen for rezoning, development and environmental approvals, it is likely that in the short to medium term, there will be new residential complexes along the N2, north of the town, also in the area between the Shell garage and Santini apartments, along Robberg south beach, and in the Roodefontein area, in Wittedrift, Green Valley and Kurland. In addition, both retail and residential developments are reportedly being planned for the southern end of Longships Drive and also in the Weldon Kaya area. Your Association monitors applications for these developments, and where necessary engages with the municipality and developers to positively influence development for the long term benefit of the town.

 

“Could Do Better”

It has been nearly two years since the council passed a resolution on Erf 156 which withdrew the right for a hotel development on the unsightly and illegally constructed wreck on Signal Hill. This cleared the way to execute a 2016 court order to demolish the 30 year old unfinished structure, which had become a serious crime hotspot. We are pleased that the Municipality has eventually issued a tender for demolition, albeit after an inexplicably protracted and tardy process.

Another concern is that the seemingly abandoned proposal for a small boat harbour development is an issue that reportedly has not been resolved. Although we understand that no development is envisaged, in part due to increasingly stringent environmental regulations, equally we are led to understand that the contract with the purported original developer has not been terminated.  Amongst other factors, this could preclude undertaking a much needed upgrade to the Central Beach/ Piesang River precinct.

As reported last year, your Association is most concerned at the increase in demand on the town’s infrastructure, induced by the town’s growth. Most worrying is that we have not seen sufficient evidence of a realistic long term plan being implemented for bulk water storage and supply. Should we experience a prolonged drought, or a failure in the Keurbooms River pump system, there could be a serious negative impact on water availability in the town.

Finally, the inability to create sufficient job opportunities in the town, despite the town’s growth, has led to a rising rate of unemployment over time and the inevitable attendant social issues.