The City of Cape Town has approved an application to classify Northpine as a special rating area (SRA).
The new Northpine City Improvement District is the biggest residential SRA in Cape Town, the City said in a statement.
Northpine was among four areas given SRA approval at a meeting of full council on Wednesday April 26. The others were the Montague Gardens-Marconi Beam Improvement District, the Penzance Estate Special Rating Area and the Beaconvale Improvement District.
The City’s requirements for the application process for these SRAs included an urban management survey, which was carried out in all four areas.
“Based on the results of these surveys, it was clear that these areas are well-developed with good infrastructure, but are showing signs of urban decay and require intervention,” the City said.
These SRAs are defined by geographical areas. Property owners will pay extra rates for top-up services, mostly for policing, cleaning and infrastructure maintenance.
According to Johan van der Merwe, mayoral committee member for finance, these would translate into a “tangible boost in property values and capital investments”.
The application for Northpine SRA, he said, depicted “active citizenship” where property owners from a previously disadvantaged neighbourhood had seen the need to “take ownership of their local neighbourhood and assist the City”.
The steering committee behind the Northpine SRA had received “overwhelming support from the community” and residents had been most concerned about public safety, the state of the public areas, and the general beautification of their neighbourhood.
“We look forward to addressing these needs and making progress possible together,” said Mr Van der Merwe
With the most recent approvals, Cape Town now has 39 established SRAs.
