Why You Need Professional Help with Applications for Subdivision and Consolidation of Land
If you want to create a large conservancy by combining several farms, you may have to apply for consolidation of land. Likewise, if you want to develop a residential estate or perhaps an industrial or office park on two or more parcels of land, you may have to apply for consolidation of land to enable you to develop the properties on a single piece of land. You may want to create a resort, but in order to do so, you bought two adjacent properties. Due to the nature of the resort, you cannot develop it on two separate properties and this is where the town planning expertise of The Practice Group can be very useful. We will advise you on the process to consolidate land, whether township establishment will be needed, and what zoning rights will apply.
It may be more difficult to obtain permission for consolidation of land in a densely populated urban area than consolidating two or more farms for creating a game park. This is the case because land is already scarce in the developed urban area. The opposite may be true when trying to subdivide agricultural land. Subdivision may still be possible if the land is large enough to ensure sustainability, even when subdivided. However, access routes, rights to the use of resources, and other factors come into play. For both subdivision and land consolidation, you will need the help of town planners and other professionals, such as land surveyors. Consolidations and subdivisions entail cadastral surveys. Such surveys must be done when new parcels of land are created. For this, you will need the services of surveyors registered with the South African Council for Professional and Technical Surveyors.
Keep in mind that, if you want to subdivide property near the central business district of a city, factors such as transportation routes, workplaces, and population housing requirements are considered. When agricultural land is subdivided, factors such as water resources and agriculturally viable land available must be considered. When the application for the consolidation of land is for properties close to the CBD, you may also need advocacy planning assistance. The council will only consider such an application if it will be to the benefit of the communities and in line with the urban planning goals for the city. When your land consolidation request is for two or more adjacent farms, factors such as how consolidation will affect the surrounding communities, and the reason for consolidation, will be considered.
The application processes for subdivision and consolidation entail the initial application to subdivide or consolidate. This is followed by the actual survey of the particular piece or pieces of land. The new property diagrams must be obtained, and the Surveyor General must give permission to survey the land. You will thus have to deal with a town planner who works in close relationship with the land surveyor. If the application is for a parcel of land in an urban area, the town planner will submit an application to the local authority. However, if the land consolidation or subdivision is related to property outside the urban area, the application is made to the South African Heritage Resource Agency for structures older than 50 years. The application can also be submitted to the provincial government if a title deed restriction applies. You may furthermore need to make an application to one of the nature conservation authorities.
If it is a rural application for land consolidation or subdivision, you will have to apply to the Department of Agriculture, the Roads Authority, and the local authority. You may furthermore have to apply to the specific statutory body dealing with nature conservation for the region. Your town planner will discuss the various applications with you. The application process can take anything from a few months to several years, depending on the factors involved in terms of the particular land parcel or parcels. It is best to discuss the timeframe with the town planner and land surveyor. If there are objections from the community, the town planning company will first have to address these. Only once all objections have been dealt with can the application process be completed.
Make use of our team of town planners to help you with the application for subdivision or consolidation of land anywhere in South Africa.