Dear CIfA Member
The City of Cape Town wishes to update built environment professionals on the following impact the Lockdown is having on LUM applications:
- Under level 4 lockdown staff cannot return to office and this will also mean returning to office to retrieve files from archives.
- As planning is not classified as an essential service, the City can also not provide staff with the necessary travel permits.
- Under level 3 this may change and the City may see some staff returning to the offices to provide such service.
- The City can therefore only provide case information that has been uploaded on DAMS.
- Most case officers do in some or other way have access to DAMS and they can process land use applications to a stage it can progress under lockdown.
- The City is experiencing difficulty in advertising some applications due to the postal and courier services not being available.
- When that service is available, the City should be able to process all applications to the decision making stage.
- The first 2 virtual MPT meetings have now been scheduled to happen on the 29 May and 2 June. These meetings have been uploaded on to the City of Cape Town website.
- The MPT will be considering approx. 136 admin penalties at the two meetings. If the lockdown level from 1 June 2020 still prevents normal meetings then the MPT will proceed and start considering the less complex reports first as those reports where oral submissions are required may pose different challenges that are being considered so that the City is prepared.
- Furthermore note that DEADP is still considering possible exemptions to LUPA on advertising and the City jointly with DEADP and other municipalities have made submissions to DRDLR on lifting the restrictions on the postal and courier services.
Kind Regards,
