The City of Cape Town's Development Management Department only accepts building plan and land use applications online through its e-services portal, which has been upgraded to provide more online services to the public.

On the upgraded portal, which will go live on February 27, residents and professionals who are registered for e-services will not only be able to submit building plans and development or land use applications, but also requests for zoning extracts, book pre-consultation meetings, submit bulk applications, request a building inspection, request a permission to use, request and occupancy certificate, and request building plan copies, as well as resubmit applications following refusal.

Users can then also download application feasibility, search for application data and view their building plan and land use or development applications on the portal.

The city will migrate from the old to the new portal from February 20 to 26. During this time, it will not accept any land use and building plan applications. Residents will also not be able to submit land use or building enforcement complaints online during this period.

The city cannot receive applications while this migration is in process. However, requests for copies of building plans and enforcement related issues can continue through the walk-in centres.

"We are confident that residents and professionals will find it easier and convenient to use the new upgraded portal. For example, the new portal will offer a complete online service catalogue where residents can request copies of building plans, zoning extracts, occupancy certificates, and so forth," says City of Cape Town deputy mayor and Spatial Planning and Environment MMC Eddie Andrews.

"This will be the one-stop-shop for all development-related queries and requests to the City and one of the biggest advancements in this field by any municipality in South Africa. It confirms that ease of doing business with the City of Cape Town is a top-priority for us," he adds.

"This improvement will enable property owners to track their land use and building applications online, if they are registered for e-services. Currently, only professionals can track applications on behalf of their clients, however, once the new portal is in place, property owners will be able to keep tabs on the process and timelines.

"Professionals in the development industry will also benefit, as they will be able to submit a direct service request for inspections, consultations, feasibility of proposals, and tracking of all applications," says Andrews.