The response below was prepared by Wynand Dreyer PrEng, on behalf of the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation, to the process initiated in September 2020, by the Transformation and Spatial Planning Unit of the City of Johannesburg, towards the review and update of the Spatial Development Framework 2040 (SDF). The commentary deals with best practice and the requirements that legislation imposes on authorities, including the responsibility of the City to compile an inventory of its heritage resources, talks to practical steps required to give effect to the SDF and how a volunteer body like the JHF, could contribute to a well-structured high-level plan. Publishing on The Heritage Portal to a wider audience, invites comment from other jurisdictions, on their experiences, successes and failures, in getting the value of heritage recognised by municipal authorities and included in strategic planning frameworks, regulations and by-laws.
The Johannesburg Heritage Foundation (JHF) gladly accepted the invitation to participate in the webinars convened to review the present SDF2040 and really appreciates the willingness of the chair, Dylan Weakley and the City Transformation and Spatial Planning team, to consider the points made regarding the inclusion of heritage planning and environmental protection in the SDF, which will guide the future of our City. In formulating the response below, submitted late in November 2020, the JHF argues that a Spatial Development Plan must address heritage preservation in Johannesburg, comply with the legal frameworks, at all levels, and provide for cooperation with willing Civil Society partners, such as the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation...
