Critique of the Umdloti Town Planning Scheme
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CRITIQUE OF THE UMDLOTI TOWNPLANNING SCHEME CRITIQUE OF THE UMDLOTI TOWNPLANNING SCHEME by MRlDULEKHA ALLOPI Submitted in partialfulfilment for the Degree ofMaster ofTown and Regional Planning, University ofNatal, Durban. Exceptfor quotations specifically indicated in the text, and any other help which is acknowledged, this dissertation is entirely my own work and has not been submitted for a degree in any other University. MRIDULEKHA ALLOPI December 2000 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In preparing this Dissertation, I wish to convey my sincere thanks and appreciation to the following individuals: 1. My husband, Thivesh, for his continued support, patience and love over this pastyear; 2. My children, Nabeel and Adithi, for being so patient and understanding; 3. My parents, Rishi and Kam, sister and brother-in-law, Kamlesh and Koobashen, for all the words ofencouragement; 4. Rory Wilkinson, for his commitment and support; 5. Nathan Iyer, for his support and inspiration; 6. Kavi Soni, for his encouragement and support; 7. To all the staffofthe Planning and Environment Team ofthe North Local Councilfor all their support and continued encouragement; 8. To my Supervisor, Mike Khan, for guidance in preparing this Dissertation; and, 9. Last, but not least, to the Umdloti Ratepayers Association and all those equally important people who formed part ofthe information gathering process. Mridulekha Allopi December 2000 TABLE OF CONTENTS Pag;e No. CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Locality ofthe Study Area 4 1.2 Topography 5 1.3 Background to the problem 5 1.4 The Research Problem 7 1.4.1 Unpacking the themes 7 1.4.1.1 Coastal Localities 7 1.4.1.2 Environmental Performance 8 1.5 Subsidiary Questions 9 1.6 The Hypothesis la 1.7 Key Concepts and Terms la 1.7.1 Integrated Development Plans la 1.7.2 Structure Plans 11 1.7.3 Town Planning Schemes 11 1.7.4 Development Control 12 1.7.5 Zoning 13 1.7.6 Built Form Regulations 13 1.7.6.1 Floor Area Ratio 13 1.7.6.2 Height 14 1.7.6.3 Coverage 14 1.7.7 Physical Environment 14 1.7.8 Urban Design 14 1.7.9 Urban Form 14 1.7.10Legibility 15 1.7.11 Imageability 15 CHAPTER TWO Research Methodology 16 2.1 Introduction 16 2.2 Secondary Sources 16 2.3 Primary Sources 17 Table 1: The use ofMethodology 17 2.3.1 Questionnaires 18 2.3.2 Intervievvs 18 2.3.3 Land Use Survey 19 Page I 2.3.4 Urban Design Analysis 20 Table 2: Summary ofIssues 20 2.4 Chapter Outline 21 CHAPTER THREE: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 3.0 Introduction 23 3.1 Locating the Dissertation 24 3.2 Emergence ofApproaches 25 3.2.1 Zoning Approach 25 3.2.2 Policy Based Approach 26 3.3 What is the Town Planning Scheme/where did they emerge? 26 A. International Context 27 3.3.1 The emergence ofSchemes in Britain 27 3.3.2 The emergence ofSchemes in America 29 3.3.3 The emergence ofSchemes in Canada 30 3.3.4 Lessons to be learnt 31 B. National Context 32 3.4 The South African Perspective 32 3.4.1 Introduction 32 3.4.2 Development Plans/Structure Plans! Town Planning Schemes 33 3.4.3 Components ofa Town Planning Scheme 34 3.4.4 Integrated Development Plan 35 3.4.5 Land Development Objectives 36 3.4.6 Current InterventionslPolicies 37 3.5 Settlement Planning and Development Principles: Criteria for Development in Coastal Towns 38 Table 3: Setting up Criteria for Settlement Planning 39 3.6 Environmental Performance Criteria 41 3.6.1 Permeability 41 3.6.2 Variety 42 3.6.3 Legibility 43 3.6.4 Robustness 43 3.6.5 Visual Appropriateness 44 Table 4: Setting up Environmental Performance 45 3.7 International and Local Precedents 46 Table 5: Setting up ofIntensity Level Criteria 46 3.8 The Umhlanga Town Planning Scheme 48 3.8.1 Coastal Localities 49 3.8.1.1 Beach Amenity Reservation 49 3.8.1.2 Zone 1 50 Page II Table 6: Table C: Umhlanga Town Planning Scheme NO.l 50 Table 7: Table D: Umhlanga Town Planning Scheme No.1 51 3.8.1.3 Zone 2&3 General Residential 2&3 52 3.8.1.4 Lessons to be learnt 52 3.8.2 Environmental Performance 53 3.8.2.1 Permeability 53 3.8.2.2 Variety 54 3.8.2.3 Legibility 54 3.8.2.4 Robustness 54 3.8.2.5 Visual Appropriateness 55 3.8.2.6 Lessons to be learnt 55 3.9 Summary 56 3.10 Implications to the Study Area 56 CHAPTER FOUR: CASE STUDY 4.0 Introduction 58 4.1 Locality ofStudy Area 58 4.2 Topography 58 4.3 History ofPlans 59 4.3.1 Umdloti Town Planning Scheme/Structure plan 59 4.3.2 Integrated Development Plan 61 4.3.3 Coastal Tourism Development Plan 62 4.3.4 Innovative Coastal Project 63 4.3.5 Summary 64 4.4 Umdloti Town Planning Scheme 64 4.4.1 Preamble to the Umdloti Town Planning Scheme Clauses 65 4.4.1.1 Theme One 67 4.4.1.1.1 Zone 1 67 Table 8: Umdloti Town Planning Scheme Clauses 68 Table 9: Umdloti Town Planning Scheme Clauses 71 Plate 1 73 Plate 2 74 Plate 3 76 Plate 4 76 Plate 5 77 Plate 6 77 Plate 7 78 4.4.1.1.2 Zone 2 79 4.4.1.1.3 Zone 3 80 4.4.1.1.4 Zone 4 81 Page III 4.4.1.1.5 Zone 5 81 4.4.1.1.6 Summary 82 4.4.2 Environmental Performance 83 4.4.2.1 Permeability 83 4.4.2.2 '1ariety 83 4.4.2.3 Legibility 84 4.4.2.4 Robustness 84 4.4.2.5 '1isual Appropriateness 85 4.4.3 Perceptions ofIssues 85 4.4.3.1 Coastal Localities 85 4.4.3.2 Environmental Performance 86 4.4.4.3 Conclusion 87 CHAPTER FIVE MAIN FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS 5.0Introduction 88 Policy and Practice 88 5.1 Response to Questionnaires 88 5.1.1 Question 1-5: Demographics 89 5.1.2 Question 6: Residency 91 5.1.3 Question 7: Length of Stay 92 5.1.4 Question 8: Reason 93 5.1.5 Question 9: Residency 93 5.1.6 Question 10-11: Quality/Typical Facilities 93 5.1.7 Question 12-14: Perceptions 94 5.1.8 Question 15: Aesthetics 95 5.1.9 Question 16: Aesthetics 96 5.1.10Question 17: Aesthetics 97 5.1.11 Question 18: Alternative Location 97 5.1.12Question 19: Development Options 98 5. 1.13 Question 20: Change 98 5.1.14Question 21: Perceptions 99 5.1.15 Question 22: Permeability 99 5.2Analysis ofQuestionnaires 100 5.3 Interviews 102 5.3.1 Interview 1 102 5.3 .2 Interview 2 102 5.3.3 Interview 3 103 5.3.4 Summary 103 5.4 Land Use Survey 104 Paee IV 5.5 Urban Design Analysis 106 5.5.1 Permeability 106 5.5.2 Legibility 106 5.5.3 Variety 107 5.5.4 Robustness 107 5.6 Urban Design Analysis: Part Two 107 5.6.1 Precinct one 108 5.6.2 Precinct two 108 5.6.3 Precinct three 108 5.6.4 Precinct four 108 5.6.5 Summary 109 5.7Conclusion 109 Table 10: Summary ofIssues III CHAPTER SIX VALIDITY OF HYPOTHESIS 6.0 Introduction 113 CHAPTER SEVEN FUTURE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE STUDY AREA 7.0 Introduction 114 7.1 The North Local Councils' IDP 114 7.2 The Coastal Development Plan 115 7.3 Innovative Coastal Project 116 7.4 New Land Use Management System 117 7.5 Conclusion 117 CHAPTER EIGHT RECOI\1MENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS 8.0 Introduction 118 BIBLIOGRAPHY 123 Page V LIST OF ANNEXURES ANNEXURE 1: Locality Plan: Metropolitan Context ANNEXURE 1.1: Locality Plan: The Study Area ANNEXURE 2: Questionnaire ANNEXURE 3: Umdloti Town Planning Scheme Clauses ANNEXURE 4: Umdloti Town Planning Scheme Map ANNEXURE 5: Umhlanga Town Planning Scheme Map ANNEXURE 6: Umhlanga Town Planning Scheme Clauses: Table B3: Beach Amenity Reserve Uses ANNEXURE?: Umdloti Beach: Land Use Survey ANNEXURE 8: Urban Design Analysis: Design Elements: Lynch ANNEXURE 9: Urban Design Analysis: Design Elements: Themes Concurrent Throughout Dissertation Page VI LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Use ofMethodology in addressing the three themes Table 2: Summary ofIssues Table 3: Setting up ofCriteria for Coastal Localities Settlement Planning: Coastal Tourism Project: Markewicz English: July 2000 Table 4: Setting up ofEnvironmental Performance Criteria: Citied in Iyer N. (1996) Table 5: Setting up ofIntensity Criteria: Coastal Tourism Project: Markewicz English: July 2000 Table 6: Table C: Umhlanga Town Planning Scheme No.l Table 7: Table D: Umhlanga Town Planning Scheme No.l Table 8: Umdloti Town Planning Scheme Clauses: Table C: Use Zones Table 9: Umdloti Town Planning Scheme Clauses: Table D: Density Controls Table 10: Summary ofIssues Page VII LIST OF PLATES Plate 1: Effects ofovershadowing as a result ofnon-compliance with Clause 3.2 ofthe Umdloti Town Planning Scheme Clauses. Plate 2: Non-compliance with Clause 3.2 Plate3: Effects ofovershadowing onto the beach Plate 4: Effects ofovershadowing as a result ofinappropriate zoning Plate 5: Effects ofovershadowing onto the beach Plate 6: Mass development Plate 7: The dune in its natural state Page VIII CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION " Natal was annexed by Britain and became a district of the Cape of Good Hope. After defeat of Dingane, the Natal Bantu settled in reserves and unoccupied land along the North Coast.