Gordon’s Bay residents and business owners are reminded to prioritise attending the upcoming open-house meetings on the draft local spatial development framework (LSDF), or neighbourhood plan, for the Gordon’s Bay Development Area (GBDA).
City of Cape Town officials will be present to answer questions at the meeting, which also presents an opportunity for residents to submit comments. The open-house meetings are scheduled to take place at the Charles Morkel Hall in Strand on Saturday 24 February from 10:00 to 14:00; and at the same venue on Friday 8 March from 13:00 to 19:00.
The GBDA includes vacant and underdeveloped land located to the north of the coastal town, between the existing N2 highway and just east of Sir Lowry’s Pass Road.
The LSDF for this area was made public on Wednesday 24 January earlier this year to allow residents and interested and affected parties the opportunity to collaborate with the City in finalising the LSDF.
“I encourage residents to attend one, if not both, of these meetings,” said Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee ember for Spatial Planning and Environment Eddie Andrews. “This is the ideal opportunity to ask questions, to learn more about the process we are following in developing the spatial vision for this area, which is one of the biggest parcels of vacant land within the city’s borders and to influence the outcomes.”
Those who cannot attend these meetings can still participate in the process.
Comments can be submitted as follows:
• Online on the City’s Have-your-Say page at www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay;
• By email at GBDA_LSDF@capetown.gov.za;
• The draft LSDF is also available for viewing at the Subcouncil 8 office and Gordon’s Bay Library;
•The closing date for submissions is Friday 22 March;
An LSDF is a policy document that determines the development vision for an area on a local level. The City uses the LSDF for guidance when making decisions about development applications and land uses.
“The Gordon’s Bay Development Area has immense development potential,” Andrews said. “However, as much as we need development to keep up with population growth demands, this must be managed in a sustainable manner that promotes and protects the unique characteristics of the area. It is therefore important that we collaborate with residents and affected parties in finalising the LSDF that will guide future decisions on how this land should be used, developed, and importantly, the natural environment protected.”
The public’s contributions will be considered in finalising the draft LSDF, and afterwards it will be submitted to council for approval.
The LSDF for the GBDA elaborates on and supports the spatial development guidelines set out in the Helderberg District Spatial Development Framework, which is a higher-order spatial plan for the greater Helderberg area.
