XENO-URBAN
SITE INFORMATION SERVICE
Xeno-Urban Architects is a SACAP registered architecture firm based in the Western Cape Garden Route region. We focus on designing amazing spaces where people, nature and building meet. We know how to imbue our projects with the right mix of quality, innovation and sustainability to realise the highest possible standard of projects possible in the region.
We created our Site Information Service as an affordable and efficient way for the public to obtain important information and documents about properties. As architects, we obtain this information from various sources before starting an architectural project, but this information is also useful to make decisions about property purchases and development potential.
Areas Covered
The service is currently available for all properties located in municipal areas within the Garden Route district of the Western Cape, which includes:
-George
-Mossel Bay
-Knysna
-Bitou
-Hessequa
-Oudtshoorn
-Kannaland
Cost & Process
The service costs a standardised fee of R990,00 per property.
Once an online form (via the button along side) is submitted for the property, an invoice will automatically be sent out for payment via EFT. As soon as payment is received, the relevant documents will be obtained and sent via email within a week.
Information Included:
SG Diagram
The office of the Chief Surveyor General is responsible for holding cadastral records of all registered properties in South Africa. These documents, known as “SG Diagrams” specify the exact size and shape of a property, including the lengths and angles of each boundary. The document may also include servitudes, which are portions of land that may not be built over.
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Zoning Map
The zoning designation specifies the usage rights applicable to the property and references applicable sections of the Municipal Zoning Scheme By-law. Should the current zoning of a property not allow for the intended use of the property, a rezoning may be required.
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Heritage Status
The National Heritage Resources Act of 1999 regulates and protects different forms of cultural and historical significance, including buildings, which can be categorised in different grades of protection. We are able to consult the database of heritage bodies to identify structures with high protection grades.
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Aerial Imagery
Aerial imagery is made up of photographs taken from directly above and stitched together to form a plan or map view that shows physical detail of the site and its context. This includes roads and pathways, natural features and vegetation, as well as buildings on or close to the property.
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Municipal Zoning Scheme By-law
This is the document, issued by the local council, setting out the guidelines for the development of the entire municipal region. It contains a plethora of rules and restrictions in varying combinations, the relevance of which is determined by a particular property’s zoning.
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Registered Servitudes
Servitudes are portions of a property which are set aside for the use of another party who is not the owner of the land. Examples include access roads to another property or municipal infrastructure which runs over private properties to reach other properties. As a general owners are allowed to enclose servitudes, but may not build over them or refuse access to the parties in whose favour the servitude is registered.
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Elevation Profile/ Contours
The topography and slope of a site can impact the practical implications and cost of development, with steep sites being far more difficult and costly to build on than flat ones. We are able to obtain reasonable approximations of a property’s slope from a number of municipal databases. This information is presented either as a contour map or as an elevation profile, which is a figure cutting through the site from the highest to the lower corner of the site.
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Environmental Protections
There are a whole host of environmental protections which may be applicable to any given property. In some cases, such environmental protections may make the process of obtaining approvals for development more costly, difficult and time consuming or, in extreme cases, impossible. We consult the Western Cape Biodiversity Spatial Plan database of the Department of Environmental Affairs to map potential environmental protection concerns.
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If you are considering a development project on your property and need deeper analysis, more information and expert advice to determine if your project is viable, but you don't want to take on the risk of a full architectural appointment just yet, we have another efficient, affordable service just for you.
Click the button and fill out the form to request information for the property of your choosing!
Disclaimers:
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The Site Information Service provides a number of important documents and data taken from various databases maintained by municipal, provincial and national governments and, in some cases, large international organisations. Xeno-Urban Architects gives no guarantee as to the accuracy of the information available through these databases, nor does the service include analysis or verification of the information.
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In rare cases, some of the information listed above may not be available for specific properties.
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Should an SG Diagram not be available from the Surveyor General, a professional land surveyor likely needs to be appointed to survey the property and submit one.
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The only way to get fully accurate and reliable data regarding the slope of a site is to have a professional Land Surveyor do a detailed site survey.
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There can never be any guarantees concerning the applicability and accuracy of environmental protections unless a professional Environmental Practitioner is appointed to conduct the relevant studies.
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Not all forms of heritage protection are shown on the heritage databases.
