PLANS for a proposed housing project between Birchleigh and Birchleigh North was clarified by municipal representatives to residents at a meeting in Birchleigh North ext. 3 on Tuesday last week.
This clarification comes after months of confusion from the side of the residents about what kind of housing development would be built.
The houses planned by the municipality will be built on a 172-hectare open field and vlei area that stretches from Birchleigh to Birchleigh North, over the P91, on the Esselenpark side of the suburbs.
Attending the meeting were Entabeni Residents Association, ANC PR councillor in ward 91, Makhosazane Dhladhla-Mavundla, MMC for Roads and Transport, Thumbu Mahlangu, six representatives from the Department of Human Settlements, as well as representatives from GIBB Engineering and Architecture, and Nemai Consultants, who will conduct the environmental impact assessments.
According to Mike Nkabinde, committee member of Entabeni Residents Association, the meeting went well and many outstanding issues were addressed.
“The plans for the housing project were thoroughly explained to us by the Department of Human Settlements. Before, residents were unhappy about the lack of communication from the municipality and local councillors with regards to the project. The only information we had before were notices from Nemai, informing us of plans to build low cost housing in the area, as well as a map.
“But now we understand fully what the development plans are and what kind of homes will be built, and for what reasons.”
According to local government director of the Department of Human Settlement, Mr Molefe, the government mandate on housing is integrated human settlement; hence the plans for a mixed economy of houses in the area.
“The houses that are being planned will be a combination of middle income and high income earners, making it a mix of low income housing and middle class suburban homes,” Nkabinde said.
Different homes will be built in the area, including some which will be rented to people from outside the province who have migrated to Gauteng for work.
“Now that everything has been clarified and explained properly, we understand and are in agreement with the mixed housing development that will take place.”
Residents who want to be kept in the loop about the process of the EIA conducted by Nemai Consulting, can register with the company to be on their data base for information regarding the assessments.
For more information, contact Nkabinde on 082-491-4706 or mrnkabinde@gmail.com
