Agste Laan upgrade is set to commence
R50.8 million project will change lives of residents
COMMUNITY consultations for the upgrade of the Agste Laan informal settlement in Valhalla Park have been concluded and contractors have begun their site preparations. “The R50.8 million upgrade to transform the lives of these residents will go a long way towards creating a sense of place in the community, with its formalised layout and community-friendly design,” the mayco member for informal settlements, water and waste services and energy, Xanthea Limberg said.
If construction was able to proceed as planned, the site should be completed by the end of 2018. Ongoing co-operation from the beneficiaries would be of paramount importance, she said. The formalised layout would allow the city to provide an improved level of basic services.
Each of the 580 residential plots would have access to its own toilet and metered water and electricity connections. The redesign would also allow for the provision of public lighting.
This could not be done previously due to the density of the structures. And as part of the upgrade, formal erven would be created, to be transferred with title deeds to qualifying beneficiaries.
The progressive realisation of tenure was one of the key thrusts of the city’s new organisational development and transformation plan.
This enhanced service delivery plan created hope through enabling opportunities and services in a more localised area, Limberg said.
Those who did not qualify, ie those with other properties registered in their name, those who had previously been allocated a housing opportunity and foreign nationals, would not get ownership but would be issued a certificate of tenure.
A series of meetings with the community were held to inform the design and to explain what the process of upgrading the settlement entailed, she said.
Residents also took the opportunity to highlight their preferences for space to be set aside for places of worship and early childhood development centres.
This was included in the project specifications. In additional inputs, residents will be able to choose a street-naming theme.
“Given the crippling land shortage in the city, these informal settlement upgrades will become more and more integral to ensuring residents receive higher levels of service.
“We urge communities, residents and organisations to work with us in the same way the Agste Laan community has done, to find and implement workable and sustainable solutions for the urban realities that we, as a metro and a country, face.
“The density of informal settlements often jeopardises the provision of basic and emergency services. In addition, designs such as this can also improve safety in the community.
The creation of roads concentrates the movement of pedestrians, limiting the opportunities for criminals to strike,” the mayoral committee member for area central Siyabulela Mamkeli said.