I am penning this letter out of huge frustrations and desperation to get a building plan approved.
I am an architect operating on the East Rand, mostly drafting house plans. I am trying to make a living and to give a good service to my clients.
This is happening till the plans are submitted to council. Then the nightmare starts. It is taking months and months (up to a year) to get a plan approved.
Plans are lying everywhere in the offices, on the floors in boxes, and that is maybe the reason why they can’t find them, meaning you have to go back over and over again. There are no proper processes. I’m sent from pillar to post, with no progress.
Time is money. Plans recommended for approval by the powers-to-be also take weeks for approval.
This complaint is not against the employees working at the counter, this is against the inspectors and the chief inspector who must approve it. May I also mention that it is to no avail to phone them, as nobody answers any of the numbers?
Furthermore, they can’t give you a list of additional requirements needed on top of all the compulsory legislation that is deemed-to-satisfy the requirements (such as SANS 10400, SANS 10252).
I am referring to things like why you need an engineer to do a rational design for a simple thing like an IBR carport if it is bigger than 40m2?
One day they apply the rule and the next time they don’t care. Then they allow IBR carports on the boundary, the next time they require a fire wall. No consistency.
Most of the additions to houses were done in an era when building lines were automatically relaxed and work was carried out accordingly.
However, the new town planning scheme requires new building lines and that is creating chaos, in that plans are not approved. Then they come up with a lot of different rules. One day the roads engineers must sign it off and/or, another day, the neighbours also need to sign it off. No consistency.
Another issue is Title Deeds. Council never looked at Title Deeds and buildings were approved exceeding the building lines; what now?
They query rational designs done by professional engineers, such as thatch roofs, which is a good example.
It is no wonder that residents just do their building work without approved plans and then submit them “as built”.
As an architect I agree that “as built” plans are illegal and must be correctly addressed and need to be approved within the given rules.
This type of plan is a nightmare. Again they can’t give you any informed guidance as to how to handle it; every inspector has a different view.
I am writing this letter to persuade the Building Department to be more public-friendly and to assist us, the ratepayer, and to speed up the approval processes.
Remember, the residents obtained quotes for the building work and are normally very excited, but this fades as it take so long to have the plans approved.
Can we trust that the issues will be addressed and that the professional architects/draughtsman and the residents will be informed of the correct ways to have their plans speedily approved?
Can I just mention that this type of problem does not exist at the surrounding municipalities?
