Land Use Management Department (LUM) traditionally referred to as City Planning Department is one of six departments constituting the Economic Development Planning Cluster headed by the Deputy Municipal Manager, Dr Hein Wiese. The Head of Department (Manager) is Lekgotla Motapane and Mr. Gerhard Heenop is LUM manages existing and future developments within the administrative jurisdiction of the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM). Matters pertaining to zoning; comprehensive planning of the physical and economic landscapes of the ELM through land use policies such as spatial development plans; production of urban design models, architectural physical modeling; provision of services related to Geographic Information Systems (GIS); and inspections and building codes fall within the purview of this department. While its responsibilities are varied, the department ensures that developments in Emfuleni Local Municipality occur in a logical, safe, orderly and fair manner.
Land Use Management Department consists of four divisions:

• The Land Use Management Division

The division is responsible for evaluation and processing of received development applications (rezonings, consent uses, townships establishments, removal of restrictive conditions of title, subdivisions, divisions of land, site development plans, building plans and other development planning related applications).

• Spatial Planning/Forward Planning Division

The divisions’ functions include the use of methods to influence the distribution of people and activities in spaces of various scales. The division is responsible for the production of various land development policies such as local spatial development plans which provide guidance to public and private sector investments. Such plans informs retail/industrial development strategies; urban renewal strategies; growth and development strategies, IDP vision and strategy; nodal development precinct plans; corridor developments, infrastructure investment strategies and facilitate and guide decision making bodies such as the Land Development Tribunal etc.

Geographic Information system (GIS) Division

GIS is a computer based system designed for capturing; storing; ascertaining; integrating; manipulating; analyzing and displaying data spatially referenced to the Earth. The primary function of a GIS includes converting technically encoded data into usable information accessible to officials, councilors and ordinary members of the public. Municipality functions ranging from the valuation of properties for purposes related to levying of rates to civil engineering infrastructure planning rely largely on GIS derived data.
Information that could be made available includes cadastral data containing characteristics such as ground level elevation; contour lines; existing servitudes registered over parcels of land; zoning; land ownership and fluctuating atmospheric temperatures. Pictometrically derived information may include aerial photographs of every piece of land within the administrative jurisdiction of the Municipality.

Law Enforcement Division (Inspectorate)

• The division investigates alleged transgressions of the town planning schemes in operation and other planning related pieces of legislation;
• issues notices to transgressors to cease illegal use or activities;
• issues summonses for transgressors of the provisions of the Town-planning and Townships Ordinance 15 of 1986 or related legislation;
• to inform interested parties of town planning provisions and
• instituting of litigations (opening of criminal cases) against transgressors.

• Next