1 George Municipality Spatial Development Framework May 2013 George Municipal Spatial Development Framework March 2013 Final Draft Prepared by George Municipality Planning Department, assisted by Setplan in association with ODA 2 George Municipality Spatial Development Framework May 2013 CONTENTS 3.4 GUIDING PRINCIPLES 22 4. SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES 23 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 4.1 Restructuring and integrating the Dysfunctional 1. INTRODUCTION 8 Urban fabric 23 1.1 LOCATION AND EXTENT 8 4.2 Strengthening the Economic Vitality Preamble 35 1.2 PURPOSE OF THE MUNICIPAL SDF 8 4.3 Creating Quality Living Environments 34 1.3 SDFs AND OTHER MUNICIPAL PLANS 10 4.4 Safeguarding the Environmental Integrity & Assets 42 1.4 PREVIOUS WORK ON GEORGE MUNICIPAL SDF 10 4.5 Enhance the Rural Character and Livelihood 46 1.5 BUILT ENVIRONMENT SUPPORT PROGRAMME 12 5. IMPLEMENTATION 49 1.6 A NEW GEORGE MUNICIPAL SDF 12 5.1 PRIORITY ACTIONS 49 1.7 TOWARDS A NEW MUNICIPAL LUPMS 13 5.2 INTEGRATED MUNICIPAL ZONING SCHEME 49 1.8 TIME FRAME OF THIS SDF 14 5.3 HUMAN SETTLEMENT DESIGN GUIDELINES 50 2. GEORGE MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA 15 5.4 MONITORING AND EVALUATION 50 2.1 MUNICIPAL VISION AND MISSION 15 6. CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS 51 2.2 MUNICIPAL CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES 15 6.1 CONCLUSIONS 51 2.3 MUNICIPAL STRATEGY 16 6.2 ACKNOWLEDGING OTHER PROPOSED 3. SPATIAL PERSPECTIVE 21 DEVELOPMENTS 51 3.1 DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT 21 APPENDIX A: LAND USE GUIDELINES 54 3.2 KEY PLANNING ISSUES 21 APPENDIX B: SDF MAPS 68 3.3 GEORGE SPATIAL PLANNING VISION AND MISSION 22 3 George Municipality Spatial Development Framework May 2013 List of Diagrams: p. 5. Densification of urban areas 40 6. Critical Biodiversity Areas 42 1. George Municipal area 9 7. Spatial Planning Categories 43 2. SDF’s relationship to other municipal plans 11 8. Policy Alignment 51 3. Municipal land use planning & management system 13 4. George’s existing spatial structure 23 ABBREVIATIONS 5. Integrated transport network 25 6. George as part of broader region 30 BBBEE Broad based black economic empowerment 7. Existing and proposed economic activity nodes 32 BESP Built Environment Support Programme 8. Overall rural & environmental spatial concept 38 CBA Critical biodiversity area 9. City-wide open space system 42 CBD Central business district DEA&DP Department of Environmental Affairs & Development List of Maps: Planning DHS Department of Human Settlements 1. Areas covered by local Spatial Development Plans 67 DMA District Management Area 2. Existing Economic Nodes 68 DRD&LR Department of Rural Development & Land Reform 3. New Special Investment Node 69 EIA Environmental impact assessment 4. Public Transport 70 EMF Environmental Management Framework 5. Urban Edge 71 ESA Ecological support area 6. Future Growth Direction 72 GRI Garden Route Initiative 7. Urban and Rural Settlements 73 HSP Human Settlement Plan 8. Subsidy Housing 74 IDP Integrated Development Plan 9. Critical Biodiversity Areas 75 LUPO Land Use Planning Ordinance 10. Spatial Planning Categories 76 MSA Municipal Systems Act 11. SDF 77 NNAR No natural area remaining 12. Non-Conforming Development Proposals 78 ONA Other natural area PA Protected Area PSDF Provincial Spatial Development Framework List of Tables: SDF Spatial Development Framework 1. SWOT analysis of George Municipal Area 17 SDP Spatial Development Plan 2. Spatial Planning Opportunities and Challenges 20 SEA Strategic environmental assessment 3. Existing and proposed nodes of economic activity 33 SPC Spatial Planning Category 4. George Municipal Settlement Hierarchy 37 SWOT Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats 4 George Municipality Spatial Development Framework May 2013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The need for a new SDF The George Municipal Area Accordingly the Municipality and Provincial authorities agreed that a new concise SDF Main Report is required to update and replace The Spatial Development Framework (SDF) for George Local the three SDF volumes produced to date. This new SDF forms part of Municipality presented in this report covers the municipality’s 5 238 the land use planning and management system that George km² jurisdictional area, inclusive of the recently incorporated Wards Municipality are introducing. Whilst the SDF provides guidelines for 24 and 25 (i.e. the former Eden District Management Area). George the development and conservation of land within the municipal Municipality now administers a vast and diverse geographic area area, it does not confer or take away land use rights. This is the role that accommodates 193 672 people and extends from the dry and of the new Municipal Integrated Zoning Scheme, which climatically extreme Little Karoo in the north, to the wetter more standardises land use regulations across the municipal area in line temperate Garden Route in the south. with the SDF’s objectives. Role of the Municipal SDF Municipal Challenges Informed by the strategic direction taken by a Municipality’s As the regional service centre of the Southern Cape and Klein Integrated Development Plan, Municipal SDF’s are meant to Karoo, George is ranked second to Cape Town on the W Cape list articulate a clear spatial vision for a municipality’s urban and rural of rankings of “Development Potential Index”. Despite this potential, areas, and specify objectives and strategies to be implemented to the municipal area is faced with serious challenges: realise this vision. • Economic: George has not escaped the ravages of the current global economic recession. Unemployment is entrenched, poverty pervasive, and the future of existing Previous work on the Municipal SDF business is under threat. The challenge is to re-instil investor Over the period 2003 to 2009 six drafts of the George Municipal SDF and consumer confidence by improving service delivery were prepared. In 2009 the Built Environment Support Programme’s and creating an environment conducive to investment. review of the SDF established that: the recent severe downturn in • Social: If it is to be ‘a city for all reasons’ George needs to George’s economy was not factored in; important new biodiversity, offer all residents access to the services and facilities of city infrastructure and rural development information is now available living. It also needs to ensure that those living outside that also needs to be considered; external statutory authorities George, in villages or on farms, also have access to basic made limited input into the SDF; and documentation of the SDF in services and facilities. The challenge is to ensure that social three separate volumes makes it inaccessible and difficult for users investment not only addresses basic human needs, but also to understand the core argument on which its proposals are based. develops the human capital needed for a thriving and prosperous service economy. Built Environment: The challenge is undoing the spatial • legacy that apartheid left on the towns, villages and farms in 5 George Municipality Spatial Development Framework May 2013 the George municipal area, and providing humane and • building institutional excellence in the provision of a high enabling living environments for all. standard of services to consumers, and functioning • Natural Environment: Notwithstanding the area’s rich and effectively as developmental local government. varied natural capital, it remains a sensitive and vulnerable environment. The challenge is ensuring the on-going • Ensure all members of public and organised business and functioning of eco-system services, that climate change is other organsiations have the opportunity to participate in taken seriously, and the Municipality’s towns and rural areas the decision making process. It is of utmost importance that are developed sustainably. Whilst the Municipality’s natural a culture of participation is nurtured. assets and productive rural landscapes need to be safeguarded, they also need to be opened up to all – Spatial Perspective particularly those denied access in the apartheid era. The SDF is the spatial manifestation of the municipal development Municipality’s Overall Strategy agenda. The spatial perspective provides the development context for the SDF with a planning Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles. George Municipality’s IDP is clear regarding the crucial role of economic development in providing resources for the development Spatial Development Objectives of the poor and previously disadvantaged. With the aim of the equitable and sustainable development of the municipal area, the The SDF details 5 development objectives, each with a Preamble, Municipality are pursuing the following core strategies: Problem Statement & General Policy Guidelines and specific Spatial Strategies. • targeting the services economy - specifically the technology, tourism, and business and financial services These 5 Spatial Objectives are as follows: sectors – as foundation on which to build the local economic base; • Restructuring and integrating the Dysfunctional Urban fabric, together with a public transport system and Urban Renewal • giving priority to addressing the needs of vulnerable interventions. communities, and developing the human capital for a service economy; • Strengthening the Economic Vitality by enhancing the Regional and Local Space Economy, Strategic Developments to Diversify • creating humane and living environments by: delivery of and Strengthen the Economy, Consolidating and reinforcing services to all households; upgrading of informal settlements nodes of economic activity, and Infrastructure Services