City to host public hearing about proposed overlay zone to conserve Bo-Kaap heritage

14 December 2018

I am pleased to announce that the City of Cape Town will embark on a public participation process for the proposal that the Bo-Kaap be included in a Heritage Protection Overlay.

A public hearing will be held as part of this process to provide the local community and interested and affected parties with the opportunity to voice their views on the proposal that a Heritage Protection Overlay Zone (HPOZ) be used as a mechanism for the conservation of the Bo-Kaap’s unique historical landscape and heritage, culture and way of life.

The decision to commence with the public participation process follows on from Council’s decision yesterday, 13 December 2018, to accept the Mayoral Committee’s recommendation that the City undertake this public participation process as soon as possible, and that this process is conducted with the necessary urgency and intent.

I want to thank the local councillors, Dave Bryant and Brandon Goulding, for continuing to make themselves available to the community and hear their concerns. I am sure that they will continue to be integrally involved throughout the public participation process.

A dossier for the proposed HPOZ for the Bo-Kaap will be publicly available on the City’s website early in the new year, and at the local library and Subcouncil 16 office. The dossier will contain maps indicating the boundaries of the area to be included in the zoning, as well as the purpose and intent of an HPOZ, general guidelines, and responses to some frequently asked questions.

The City will, as part of the public participation process, issue registered letters to owners of properties within the Bo-Kaap area, and add notices in rates bills to notify residents and local businesses and to invite them to participate and engage with the City about the proposal. The dossier will be sent to civic organisations who will be invited to attend the public hearing. The date of the public hearing, and further information about where and how the public can comment, will be announced early in the new year once business resumes as per normal after the festive season period.

I want to encourage Capetonians to get involved once this process kicks off so that we can have a vigorous and dynamic discussion about the future of Bo-Kaap – one of our most iconic areas with a rich history and unique architecture. We are committed to creating a city where residents feel acknowledged, heard and valued and this is why we will invest the necessary time and effort in the public participation process. We want to ensure that we engage meaningfully with all of those concerned, and that we involve as many residents as possible.

Many Bo-Kaap families have been living there for generations, and have contributed significantly to our cultural heritage. The City recognises that this heritage should be protected, and the imminent public participation process will pave the way to achieve this.

I once again want to note that an HPOZ does not prevent development from taking place.

The zoning of a property includes both the base zoning and overlay zoning and, as such, the HPOZ requires the City to consider, in addition to the base zoning, the impact on heritage significance where alternations, consolidations, demolitions, or new developments are proposed on properties that fall within the HPOZ. Thus, in considering whether or not to approve a development application, the City’s Development Management Department must take into account any impact which the proposed development may have on the heritage of the area included in the HPOZ.

An HPOZ therefore ensures that, where there is development, it is sensitive to the area’s architecture, community, and history. The HPOZ applies to all areas covered by the overlay and in this case it is proposed that the Bo-Kaap Heritage Protection Overlay extends from Carisbrook Street to Strand Street, and from the foot of Lion’s Head/Signal Hill to Buitengracht.

Importantly, an HPOZ does not affect ownership, neither the selling or buying of property.

Issued by Greg Wagner, Spokesperson to the Executive Mayor, 14 December 2018