Residents in Standerton have their say on new development
Lekwa has called for public comment and said they have a multitude of informal settlements, which interfere with land-use control and service delivery.
Residents from Ward 10 are not enthusiastic to say the least, about the new proposed development envisaged by the Lekwa Municipality.
The aging, dilapidated infrastructure is the driving force behind their reasoning.
Lekwa Ratepayers Association has in the meantime posted a petition on the Facebook-page as well.
Some locals posted their comments the past week, agreeing wholeheartedly that water and electricity shortages are such that no new development, will compliment the current situation.
One resident said that adding more customers to the existing, over-burdened infrastructure will cause longer periods of shortages.
The economic impact also featured with the influence on property prices getting a mention.
The proximity to the Vaal River had one resident posting that flooding in Standerton has happened in the past.
Lekwa held a consultation meeting at the Standerton Town Hall towards the end of July during which no answers were given to the questions raised.
The development will span the area from the Standerton River Park, swimming pool all the way eastwards past the Lions Clubhouse towards the Vaal River, then moving in a northern direction to the Walter Kinnear Hall.
The Development Bank of Southern Africa is funding the project.
A trustworthy source expressed concern about the lack of infrastructure as regards power lines, a sewage network and a water network.
The source also said emergency services in town might have their hands full in a case of drowning.
Whether it will be RDP-housing or middle-class residences, could not be established at the meeting since both terms were bandied about.
Alberto Franco, DA-councillor, then said the 100-year-floodline because of the proximity to the Vaal River, has to be certified.
Thabo Sebiloane, programme director, said council approved spatial planning in 2017 and indicated that the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act regulates the identification of a town and township development in a national frame-work.
Pfukani-Kusile is the appointed service provider and gave a time-frame of 36 months.
Portion 123 (portion 2) of Grootverlangen is where the development could take place.
Lekwa has called for public comment and said they have a multitude of informal settlements, which interfere with land-use control and service delivery.
According to them, the mushrooming of informal settlements is due to the growing need for serviced stands and access to land.
They indicated that a number of interrelated factors have driven the emergence of informal settlements such as population growth, rural-urban migration, lack of affordable housing and serviced stands, insufficient delivery of basic services, economic vulnerability and low-paid work.
Lekwa reiterated the need to establish townships to allow for the allocation of stands and improved land-use management control.
According to them, the proposed development will promote sustainable, functional and integrated human settlements by maximizing resources efficiently, while enhancing the regional identity and unique character of the municipality.
