ETHEKWINI Municipality’s Executive Committee has granted permission for the establishment of a Glenwood Special Rating Area (SR) and Urban Improvement Precinct (UIP). The report outlaying the proposal was tabled at the Exco meeting on Tuesday and will see the public working together with the City to improve the area.
The Committee approved the establishment of the Glenwood SRA and the collection of additional rates in the 2019/2020 budget for the purposes of improving and upgrading the area. The tabled report grants authority for the City Manager to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement in terms the Municipal Finances Management Act for the purposes of transferring funds to the Glenwood UIP non-profit company.
EThekwini Municipality’s Acting Head of Communications Mandla Nsele, said the tabled report cited the uMhlanga and Florida Road UIPs as good examples of how UIPs have played a positive role in mobilising private funds and energy to work alongside the municipality, resulting in substantially improved public space environments and raising property values and investment as well as social and economic vibrancy in their areas.
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It further stated that Glenwood is a significantly mixed use area from an urban management and social development perspective, and many residential houses have been turned into commercial properties with a dynamic mix of small businesses that brings a higher rates value to the City.
“A UIP will enable a co-management partnership to build Glenwood as an important mixed-use neighbourhood on the fringe of the inner city. The SRA initiative has undergone the assessment process and met the procedural requirements of the eThekwini Rates Policy,” said Nsele.
Its establishment means that an additional rate on commercial property owners in the area will be levied, based on the business plan and budget which has been adopted for the improvement and upgrading of their area.
The SRA will be managed by a non-profit company and will employ its own staff. The operational plan will have four pillars. The first is security, including community ambassador street monitors, a security company doing 24/7 patrols and back up to the monitors and reporting and liaising with police and security companies in the area.
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The second pillar is maintenance, which will be overseen by service level agreements with municipal departments and minor cleaning, repairs and greening. Place branding and marketing and beautification projects and events will form the third pillar, and the fourth pillar of the plan includes social responsibility through a stakeholder engagement forum and social development initiatives.
Speaking on the approval of the project, steering committee member and brainchild of the project, Heather Rorick, said: “I am so happy we have finally gotten the approval. It has taken a lot of work both behind doors and on the road keeping the Bulwer Community Improvement Project going as we lead up to the final stages of getting the approval for a Glenwood UIP. It was most certainly a team effort with all current directors and some amazing people as well who pitched in to help along the way, and of course we cannot forget the Ambassador’s that have worked so hard on the road as well. Certainly great team work.”
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