A PETITION calling for the regulation of student accommodation in central Durban and surrounding suburbs has been launched online.
According to former ward 31 councillor, Chris Pappas, the Durban Town Planning scheme is currently open for amendments, giving the public an opportunity to comment and raise concerns over the uncontrolled and unregulated student accommodation affecting communities in residential suburbs across the Berea.
Pappas urged residents to call for the inclusion of student accommodation into the Town Planning Scheme as a separate land use with applicable public participation requirements for rezoning applications, and/or the introduction of student accommodation into the Durban Scheme as a special consent use which would required an application and public participation before conversion from residential usage to student accommodation.
The petition will be presented to the eThekwini City Manager and the Head of Development Planning, Environment and Management.
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“I am driving this petition as a member of the community, town planner and concerned resident. It is something I said I would do when I was councillor but was not able to because the Durban Scheme amendment process did not open until after I left. Currently, the Town Planning by-laws do not differentiate between student accommodation and normal residential. This has lead to the mushrooming of student accommodation across the Berea, Overport and into the Sparks Estate area. Students come with the own characteristics such as increased noise, buses and the need for recreational space, because yes, students party,” said Pappas.
Pappas said the City is currently involved in the development of a student accommodation policy that will be open for public participation, and believes this policy should be supported.
“It does however need some teeth to it to be able to fully implement and enforce. I am proposing that student accommodation be included as a separate land use or as a special consent use which will force people wanting to have student accommodation establishments to officially zone their properties as such. The zoning process will come with a public participation process allowing residents to comment on a potential res in their area,” he said.
The deadline to sign the petition is 9 September. Sign the petition at: https://bit.ly/2Xi6EYW.
Email Claire Norton at claire.Norton@durban.gov.za to lodge comments on the Town Planning scheme.
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