Our Services
ADVISORY SERVICES
All Municipalities in South Africa have adopted Spatial Planning and Land Use Management By-laws to regulate and manage spatial and land use planning and development and to provide for processes and procedures for land development applications, such as rezonings, consents, subdivisions, and consolidations. We will guide you through your development needs and ensure that the prescribed processes and procedures are complied with.
INITIAL FEASIBILITY
Before commencing with any application, we will undertake a due diligence on your application, and report on municipal response, any possible red flags etc. in order to give your application the best chance of success, and to eliminate any unnecessary delays, or requests for additional information.
PROJECT CO-ORDINATION
Depending on the nature of your development you may need additional engineering reports, architectural plans and/or specialist studies to support your planning application. We will assist you to find the right professional service provider and work in conjunction with them throughout the planning application process.
OBTAINING CADASTRAL DATA
We provide land information services such as copies of sub-divisional diagrams, servitude diagrams, lease diagrams, consolidation diagrams, mineral diagrams, mining title diagrams, general plans and sectional title plans.
OBTAINING DEEDS OFFICE INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION
We can provide you with property ownership information including Deeds Office Property Reports, copies of title deeds and notarial deeds.
APPLICATIONS FOR THE REZONING OF LAND
If a landowner wants to use or develop land in a way that differs from the development rules for the particular zoning category, he/she must submit an application to the Municipality to change the zoning to one that will allow the proposed use or development.
MUNICIPAL SPECIAL CONSENT USE APPLICATIONS
Within each property use zone there are restrictions with regards to the use of land and the erection and use of buildings. These are normally split into three categories namely Permitted Uses, Consent Uses and Prohibited Uses. If your proposed land use falls into the Consent Use category, an application for that specific land use needs to be submitted to the Municipality.
TOWNSHIP ESTABLISHMENT APPLICATIONS
Should a new township be established, or an existing township extended, an application needs to be submitted to the Municipality for approval.
SUBDIVISION APPLICATIONS
A subdivision is when a portion or portions of a parent property is cut off, thus dividing the parent property into smaller erven. A Land Surveyor attends to the subdivision and prepares the subdivisional diagram and layout plan. Prior to registration in the Deeds Office, the owner must submit a land development application to the Municipality for approval.
CONSOLIDATION APPLICATIONS
A consolidation is when one or more pieces of contiguous land are consolidated to form one large property. A Land Surveyor attends to the consolidation and prepares the consolidation diagram and layout plan. Prior to registration in the Deeds Office, the owner must submit a land development application to the Municipality for approval.
APPLICATIONS FOR THE CLOSURE OF PUBLIC ROADS
Where a public road or portion of a public road are closed for whatever reason, the applicant must submit a land development application to the Municipality for approval.
APPLICATIONS FOR THE CLOSURE OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACES
Where a public open space or portion of a public open space are closed for whatever reason, the applicant must submit a land development application to the Municipality for approval.
REMOVAL, AMENDMENT OR SUSPENSION OF RESTRICTIVE CONDITIONS OF TITLE
All properties in South Africa are registered subject to certain title deed conditions. Most of these title deed conditions are standard, for example, conditions that relate to services servitudes in favour of the Local Municipality. Sometimes, restrictive conditions are imposed, for example, relating to the use of land or building lines. Over the years, these conditions may become redundant, irrelevant or are in conflict with current land use scheme regulations. In order to formally remove these restrictive conditions, the owner must submit a land development application to the Municipality for approval.
AMENDMENTS TO EXISTING MUNICIPAL APPROVALS
If you are in possession of an existing municipal planning approval, for example, a subdivision, and some circumstance change, you may submit an application for a non-material amendment to a municipal planning approval. An application can also be submitted, for example, the correct an error in the wording of a decision, to correct a spelling error or update a property description.
APPLICATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LAND OUTSIDE OF A LAND USE SCHEME AREA
We also attend to land development applications in recognised traditional settlement areas. Community consultation and Traditional Council approvals are required in addition to Municipal planning approval.
APPLICATIONS FOR A NOTARIAL TIE OF ADJACENT LAND
The registration of a notarial tie-agreement does not result in two pieces of land becoming one property, as is the case with consolidations. It only prohibits separate dealings with any of the properties so tied. Notarial Tie Agreements are entered into between the owner(s) of land, which are being tied together on the one hand and the party responsible for the enforcement of the tie-condition on the other, for example a Municipality. Prior to the registration of a notarial tie-agreement, the owner must obtain municipal planning approval.
APPLICATIONS IN TERMS OF THE SUBDIVISION OF AGRICULTURAL LAND ACT, ACT 70 OF 1970
The purpose of the Subdivision of Agricultural Land Act is to prevent the turning of large pieces of agricultural land with high yields into small, uneconomic sub-units. Thus, should you wish to subdivide agricultural land, an application must be submitted to the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development for consent to subdivide. Once the consent is granted, the owner must also submit a land development application to the Municipality for approval.