I recently conducted a walkabout at the City of Johannesburg Metro Link to follow up on how the Building Development Directorate is practically addressing issues that it had raised related to the submission of building plans, following the strategic breakaway the Department held in the previous financial year.
The Department, in the 2018/2019 Financial Year, undertook to improve the building application processes, which has been the cause of frustration for residents and developers for many years.
As the first point of contact for building applications, it is vital for the Department to fortify an approach that is focused on clients by providing them with a quality, customer-centric experience when they are at the Metro Link.
The administration and examination of building plans in the City is composed of generally two units, namely; Plans Administration and Plans Examination and Approval. The former is responsible for the registration, circulation and archiving of building plans and applications; whilst the function of the latter unit is to examine and approve building plans for conventional structures that are in line with the National Building Regulations and Standards (NBR) Act.
An estimated 1400 building plans are processed by the abovementioned units on a monthly basis.
Throughout our various engagements with the officials from these units, it however became evident that there is a significant need for further public education and awareness around the processes involved in the submission and approval of building plans.
Of utmost concern was that upon our inspection in one of the filing rooms, we discovered hundreds of files that have been categorised as “pending”, as these plans had failed to meet the requirements to be processed onto the system.
Although the NBR Act compels the City to store these applications for a period of up to 12 months, residents and developers should educate themselves on what is required from them during the building application process, particularly at the submission stage.
In general, the required documents when submitting building plan applications are as follows:
• Proof of Ownership - Title Deed(s)
• Zoning certificate
• Surveyor General diagram
• Site Development Plans (SDP) (if or when necessary)
• Engineer’s certificate (if or when necessary)
• Building line (if or when necessary)
• Neighbour’s consent (If or when necessary)
• South African Council for the Architectural Profession membership
• Engineering service contributions letter/receipt (if or when necessary)
• Number of units (if or when necessary)
The required drawings that should be prepared by a registered, competent person such as an architect, engineer, etc. are as follows:
• Site Plan
• Plans of each level
• Sections
• Elevations
Adherence to these requirements by members of the public not only provides them with efficient service from the Department, but also enables the City to meet its turnaround times and targets.
We further conducted an oversight visit to the scanning room, where millions of the archived applications are scanned for electronic archiving/storage, as we work towards an electronic submission system; a process that was brought into effect in June 2019. About 30 files are scanned and archived on a daily basis.
As we continue to address the numerous challenges that stem from the building plan applications processes, we can proudly assert that the Department’s officials are carrying out our political mandate with the necessary commitment and urgency that it deserves; that of serving the residents of our beloved city, Johannesburg, with pride, for indeed, a Johannesburg that works is a South Africa that works.
For media queries:
Poppy Louw
Stakeholder Manager: Office the MMC for Development Planning
poppyl@joburg.org.za
081 235 4999
