15 May 2018

The Letlhakeng sub district is expected to be declared a planning area in accordance with the land policy of 2015 as well as the Town and Country Planning Act 2013.

The Letlhakeng sub council chairperson, Mr Tlotlo Batlhophi said this when opening the sub council forum on Monday that the move was done with the aim of improving monitoring of developments within the sub district as well as providing legal backing in enforcing the Development Control Code of 2013.

Mr Batlhophi also indicated that the move to declare the sub district a planning area would also help in issues such as construction of buildings which were structurally sound, especially that some villages in the area were susceptible to structural collapse due to collapsible soils.

He also said the move would also help address issues such as inadequate plots and illegal changes of land use and circulation resulting in high cost of infrastructure provision.

He said the benefit was derived from a new approach by the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services to declare all districts and sub district planning areas.

Mr Batlhophi also informed the councillors that once declared a planning area, a development plan had to be prepared for all areas within Letlhakeng sub district within the first two years of the declaration date.

“These plans are mostly meant to provide an orderly and progressive development of land and the grant of planning permission to develop it,” he said.

He also said the declaration had wide implications and advantages such as the availability of planned land and optimal use of land and other resources.

He therefore said that the ministry would depend on the support of Letlhakeng sub district personnel and leadership in facilitating the completion of the declaration process. Ends