ARE illegal developments on the increase in the Pigeon Valley UIP?
Nick Alcock, a director of the UIP, noted that on his road in Glenwood, three traditional family homes were now being rented out to five to eight lodgers each, while a fourth was operating as a B&B.
“I am just pointing out the changes that are happening in our community and why we need to remain vigilant and active,” he said.

Richard Thring, UIP manager, said they had received 16 complaints or inquiries on suspected illegal building, student accommodation, suspected illegal property use and abandoned or derelict buildings since it was established in the west and south of Glenwood, in July 2023. Of these, two have been resolved, three were ongoing and most of the rest were only recently received, he said.

Thring said the numbers did not indicate an explosion of unauthorised trading from residences or widespread flouting of by-laws and zoning regulations in the suburb. But he agreed it was wise to be vigilant, adding that enforcement of by-laws remained a concern.

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Glenwood architect Paul Dekker warned that developers were sometimes dishonest in their applications and that their true intentions weren’t always apparent to municipal officials.
The zoning rules could be complicated, said Dekker, and it was hard for officials to identify which procedures needed to be applied or to “foresee what’s not being said by developers”.
“Developers will most often explain that there’s renovation happening to improve the quality of the building which has become dilapidated, when in fact additional rooms are being created, in the case of dwellings being converted to student accommodation, for example.
“The building inspector will most often visit once, after a query from neighbours, but not see anything especially untoward.”

Similarly, developers may be dishonest in their applications which are then approved. Later, when it dawns on neighbours what’s happening, and noise and nuisance complaints follow, redress can be hard to achieve, said Dekker.
“It’s often way after the fact, where the developer has already spent their funds and seen some proceeds return. They’re too deeply invested and will put up a fight to maintain their rights to operate.”

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Thring said it was hard to reduce the by-laws and ins and outs of planning policies and processes to a few words. But he stressed that residents seeking action from the municipality about neighbours should ensure they “put in a clear and valid objection” to help their cause.

So when do you need to notify neighbours?
Dekker, who has assisted the UIP, explained that when an application to relax site constraints is received, the applicant is asked to notify affected neighbours and offer written proof of their acceptance.
Similarly, neighbours may present objections to the municipality when reviewing the application. Neighbours may also appeal a decision if consent is granted.
The scheme includes guidelines for various applications involving residential properties, such as short-term accommodation like B&Bs and lodges (with a maximum of 10 rooms), student accommodation (with a maximum of 12 students in six rooms in a house or eight students in four bedrooms per unit in an authorised multiple-unit development), medical and veterinary offices, home care facilities, spaza shops, taverns, and crèches.

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