“The heritage resources of South Africa have lasting value in their own right and provide evidence of the origins of South African society. These heritage resources are valuable, finite, non-renewable and irreplaceable and they must be carefully managed to ensure their survival” (National Heritage Resources Act (No. 25 of 1999) s. 5(1)(a)).
Cape Town has a rich and diverse blend of various cultural influences, reflected in the city's complex architectural history. The city boasts an array of Victorian, Georgian, and Cape Dutch buildings, alongside Art Deco and Modernist designs that all contribute to the city’s unique heritage character.
This article will assist you in understanding the process for undertaking any renovations or alterations to your heritage property, guide you on how to find out if your property holds heritage significance and explain why it is critical to involve heritage professionals in this process. It will also give some background to why heritage conservation is important and how it is governed in the Western Cape.
Who is responsible for the Protection of Heritage Buildings in Cape Town?
There are three categories of heritage protection in south Africa and these are graded according to their significance to the country’s heritage.
Grade I: These are buildings that hold high National Significance and are governed on a National level by the South African Heritage Resources Association SAHRA.
Grade II: These are buildings that are significant to a province or a region and are governed by provincial heritage resource authorities. In the City of Cape Town, this authority is Heritage Western Cape (HWC) and is the overarching protection body in the Western Cape Region
Grade III: These include all other buildings that are worthy of conservation and are managed by the City of Cape Town E&HM department alongside various local conservation bodies and HWC. These are further grouped into Classifications A, B and C in the city’s heritage register depending on their level of significance within the municipal context.
What Does Grade III Heritage Protection Mean?
Most properties that you are likely to be considering working on are graded category III heritage resources. This means they hold some value to the region, neighborhood, streetscape, or contextual character of the area in which they are located. These may well include National monuments, typical examples of a specific architectural style or have played a significant roll in history. (Remember significant does not always mean applicable to the current owner, but may relate to any point in history)
Grade IIIA: These are regional heritage buildings that are good examples of a typology and are mostly still in their original state and intact. An example of an Area with Category IIIA grading is the entire Table Mountain.
Grade IIIB: These are Resources that are significant to their Immediate area such as a specific street or neighborhood and are well preserved and in tact. These will likely not perform their original function, but the built form will be mostly original or show strong elements of the original
Grade IIIC: These are buildings that are significant to their immediate area but may have been altered over the years, prior to being considered worthy of conservation. They will display some specific details or typical trademarks of the original style in the area.
How to Know if your Property is Heritage Protected
When structures are graded in terms of the heritage register, it means they have been deemed conservation worthy and that specific permission is required modify them or parts of them. To find out whether your property is protected, you can visit the City of Cape Town Zoning Viewer or contact your local E&HM department via the City’s website.
Remember however that not all structures have been graded or evaluated, although they might hold some heritage significance. Below are some tips to consider to establish whether a heritage application would be necessary:
Is your building older than 60 years?
Is your property an Archeological, paleontological or Meteoric site?
Has your property ever been used as a Burial ground or Grave? (Note if you find old bones or fossils during construction it is the law to stop works immediately and have the site investigated by the police or relevant experts)
Is your property located within a Heritage Protection Overlay Zone
If the answer to any of the above is yes, you will need to contact your districts E&HM office to determine whether you will need to undertake additional application processes. Larger scale developments have additional steps that need to be taken to establish whether they will have an effect on the heritage of their surroundings.
Larger Developments in Terms of Heritage Approvals:
If your development matches any of the criteria below, you will need to submit a notification of intent to develop (NID) to HWC and may also need to have a Heritage impact assessment drawn up by a local heritage practitioner.
roads, walls, powerlines, pipelines, canals or similar form of linear development or barrier more than 300m long
Bridge longer than 50m
any activity that will change the character of a site over 5000m² area
three or more existing erven or subdivisions thereof
three or more erven or divisions thereof that have been consolidated in the past five years
Development the costs of which will exceed a sum set in terms of regulations by SAHRA or HWC; or
Rezoning of a site exceeding 10 000 m²
It is highly advised to appoint a professional with the relevant experience to assist with any work relating to heritage properties as there is specific criteria set out for the applications and specific identifiers that require attention. At OVDS, we work with various heritage experts and have good working relations with the conservation authorities in order to ensure applications and communications run smoothly.
Process for obtaining approval for work on Heritage Buildings
Step 1: Appoint a Professional Architect to assist with initial project planning and advising on various conditions of the site. (Timeline depends on the scale and complexity of your project)
Step 2: Set up a meeting with your district E&HM officer/staff member to advise on the possible heritage applications that need to be undertaken and conservation bodies to be consulted.
Step 3: Have your architect/ building designer draw up detailed concept design drawings to be sent to your local conservation bodies for comment. Address these comments as diligently as possible, keeping in mind that they are recommendations based on the experience and opinions of the conservation body. There may be reasons for not being able to address all comments and some communications with the relevant bodies will help in a smoother process going forward.
Step 4: Have your architect complete the municipal submission drawings based on the agreed final design. (This process will take some time to complete the various architectural work stages)
Step 3: Submit the following documents to HWC.HWC@capetown.gov.za for pre-application scrutiny.
application form signed by applicant and owner
Power of Attorney
Title Deed
SG Diagram
Municipal Submission drawings. (These will need to remain consistent throughout the submission process.
For total demolitions:
site plan indicating any proposed demolition.
Locality Plan
Internal, external and contextual Annotated Photographs maximum 2 images per a page:
E&HM and Conservation body comments
Motivation in terms of heritage grounds pertaining to the proposed scope of works.
(City of Cape Town, n.d.)
Step 4: HWC will provide a case number and invoice. Once received, submit all the above to HWC.HWC@capetown.gov.za again with the case number and proof of payment included.
Step 5: Once HWC have endorsed your plans, you can proceed to submit your plans to the city of Cape Town. If your property is located within a HPOZ or requires any Departures from the City of Cape Town Municipal Planning Bylaw, you will submit the heritage approved drawings to the city’s Land Use Management
Step 6: Once approval is obtained from Land Use Management, Submit the approved drawings to the City’s Building Development management department and address the comments from the various departments until approval is obtained.
Building plan submissions in Cape Town
The city of Cape Town has an efficient and effective e-services system where all applications can be submitted. It has recently been upgraded and works well considering the number of applications being processed. Should you have any issues however, the city officials are always (At least in our experience) very helpful and knowledgeable. The process can be confusing and at OVDS we have templates and procedures in place to ensure this process runs smoothly.
Do you need an architect to obtain approval on your heritage building plans?
The application process for undertaking work on a heritage building in Cape Town can be complex and challenging. It involves various regulations, guidelines and permits that must be adhered to, and failure to comply with them can result in significant delays, fines or even legal action. An architect who specializes in heritage architecture will be familiar with these regulations and have the necessary expertise to navigate the application process smoothly. They will ensure that all documentation is complete and accurate, and that the proposed work meets the required standards and guidelines. Additionally, they can liaise with relevant authorities, including heritage bodies, local councils and planning departments, to ensure that the necessary permits are obtained and that the work is approved in a timely manner. Having an architect involved in the application process can therefore save time, reduce stress and minimize the risk of costly mistakes.
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