The Final Drafts for the PSDP

are now available

November 2010

The Eastern Cape PSDP Final Draft - Click here 

Volume 1: Contextual Analysis Final Draft - Click here

The PSDP Brochure - Click here

To download this map Click here

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  East London 2nd most unequal city in the world!

UN Habitat in their latest “State of the World’s cities 2010/2011” report lists East London as the second least equal city in the world, just behind Johannesburg that is the least equal.

Read more about this in an article published in the GO!&Express Community newspaper: Full article here

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Water Resources Map

With the current extremely low rainfall in the Eastern Cape this Water Resource Map raised even more concerns for some areas and hope for others in the Province.

Implications of climate change indicate the Eastern Cape could expect drier and more arid conditions in the western half in the longer term. The eastern portion could experience increased rainfall, flooding and higher flows in the river systems rising sea levels will be likely to impact on lower altitude portions of coastal cities (Port Elizabeth and East London) coastal towns (Jeffrey’s Bay, Cape St Francis, Port Alfred, Port St Johns) and resorts (Coffee Bay and Kenton on Sea for example).

According to the Department of Water there are simply insufficient water resources available to sustain large scale urban growth along the coast and inland from NMMB and BCM. Accordingly, alternative means of securing water resources and water demand management measures will be essential to ensure future sustainability.

On the other hand the eastern portion of the province has a certain measure of water resource capacity, enabling growth to be considered on greater scale. However, the peri-urban sprawl currently manifesting itself in this area mitigates against sustainable development because of the scattered distribution of land uses and the inefficient, costly infrastructure distribution systems.

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About the PSDP

The Department of Housing Local Government and Traditional Affairs with the assistance of UN-Habitat intends to undertake the review of the Eastern Cape Provincial Spatial Development Plan (ECPSDP).  The intention is for the Provincial Spatial Development Plan to become an interactive spatial planning tool for all spheres of government to manage investment and development spending according to an agreed spatial development philosophy, the policies and strategies of the Provincial Growth and Development Plan and agreed spatial development priorities.  The process will also ensure enhanced capacity of DLGTA to monitor and update the PSDP through a GIS system, Local Urban Observatory and appropriate systems and procedures.

The key objective of this assignment “is to prepare an interactive PSDP in a consultative approach that would result in a plan that sets out a broad framework for investment in a spatially oriented approach to give effect to the successful implementation of the PGDP.”

A multi skilled team of Town and Regional Planning Practitioners, a Development Economist and Information Technology Specialists has been selected to assist with this work. This team is made up of members having previous experience in the preparation of the first Provincial Spatial Development Plan, the Provincial Growth and Development Plan, numerous District and Local Spatial Development Framework Plans, research and associated documents for the Province.

KEY ELEMENTS

Key elements will be an updated PSDP which is aligned to the policy frameworks including the National Spatial Development Plan and the Provincial Growth and Development Plan; an updated PSDP which as far as possible reflects the Spatial Development Framework Plans of local and district municipalities as generated as part of their Integrated Development Plans and a new PSDP which takes into account current trends, dynamics and influences influencing spatial development, such as urbanisation, migration, economic development and programmes and projects of government, parastatals and State entities.

APPROACH

That the project process will include the following stages:

•             Contextual Analysis

In this stage a detailed analysis of Policy, trends and Programmes will be conducted in order to Inform, Influence and direct the process and content of the revised Plan.

•             Synthesis of Development Issues

Following from the Contextual Analysis, the process will outline developmental issues to be addressed in preparation of the PSDP.  The analysis will highlight the current development issues; establish linkages with other activities nationally and within the province. In particular there needs to be a focus on Governance, capacity and delivery issues. This will require extensive consultation and consensus building on what are the development issues that have significant spatial implications in the province.

•             Development Philosophy

The analysis will lead to a development philosophy that will guide the plan. It will need to consider the opportunities and the challenges in the province such as local economic development, tourism potential and maximization of the rural urban linkages.

•             Provincial Spatial Development Plan Review

The Provincial Spatial Development Plan (PSDP) review process will take into account the current national policy environment (for example: the various environmental policy guidelines and subdivision and rezoning of agricultural land), the implementation of the PGDP and the policy requirements of the NSDP, the current situation and performance of the DMs and LMs with respect to IDPs and SDFs and be informed by global trends.