This division forms part of the Directorate of Development Planning and Local Economic Development. It consists of four branches:

The Architectural Department consists of four branches:

• The Building Control Branch deals with the submission and approval of building plans and site inspections of all building work in the city.

• The Commercial Advertising Signage Control Branch deals with the submission and approval of advertising signage, the identification of and removal of illegal advertising signage, and applications to lease sites for signage display.

• The Architectural Services Branch deals with the design and erection of municipal buildings.

• The Building Maintenance Branch deals with the maintenance of municipal buildings.

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When do I have to submit building plans for approval?
No plans, particulars or approval are required for repair work that is required as a result of ordinary wear and tear or which is undertaken in the normal course of maintenance or upkeep of a building. However, all other building work requires notification and/or the submission of plans to the local authority for approval.

Must I submit plans for internal alterations?
Yes. The proposed alterations may affect the required areas for light, ventilation and the minimum permissible floor area for habitable rooms.

Can I build a timber house?
Yes, provided that:

• Plans are submitted and the building construction complies with the requirements of the SABS082 code for timber buildings.
• It is not excluded in terms of the relevant town planning zoning scheme or your title deeds.

How much are building plan approval fees?

• Plan approval fees are calculated on the basis of 0.5% of the value of the building plus a non-refundable administrative fee.
• The product of the area of the building and a predetermined rate, which is updated each year, determines the value of the building.
• The rates differ for various categories of building

View the table of fees

How long does the plan approval process take?
The department strives for a two-and-a-half week turnaround time for plan approvals. This assumes that there are no other issues involved such as special consent requirements, building line relaxation requirements or any other problems with the requirements of the service departments, (eg water, sewer, electrical connections, fire requirements).

Where must I submit my building plans?
There are four submission points in Buffalo City that cater for various sections of the city. It is important that plans are submitted at the appropriate submission point. The submission points and the areas they serve are:

• Engineering Building
  2nd Floor Counter
  26 Oxford Street
  East London
  Telephone: (043) 705-2118 and (043) 705-2101

  Areas served: Dorchester Heights; Berlin; the area south west of the Nahoon River as far as the Keiskamma River and inland up to but not including Mdantsane.

• Gonubie Municipal Offices
  Main Road
  Gonubie
  Telephone: (043) 705-9717

  Areas served: Gonubie and surrounds and north eastwards up to the Kwelera River; Sunrise-on-Sea; inland towards Macleantown and adjacent rural areas.

• Buffalo City Municipal Office
  Zone 6
  Mdantsane
  Telephone: (043) 705-9806

  Areas served: Whole of Mdantsane, Potsdam, Potsdam South and surrounding rural areas; Newlands and adjacent areas but excluding Berlin.

• Building Control Section
  Bhisho Municipal Offices
  Independence Way
  Bhisho
  Telephone: (040) 639-2061 (ask for Building Control)

  Areas served: King William's Town; Dimbaza; Zwelitsha; Ndevana; Ilitha; Mount Coke and surrounding rural areas up to, but not including, Berlin and Mdantsane.

Who is responsible for removing the building rubble left on pavements?
Owners should insist that the building contractors remove the rubble, as it is their responsibility. However, sometimes they neglect to do this and the municipality has to step in. The contractor will be charged for the removal of the rubble. See the table below. Refundable deposits serve as incentives to the contractors or owners to ensure that the pavements are cleared.

Street Charges

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Can I hire out space on my business site to advertisers?
No. Only products or services available on your site may be advertised.

Can I hire out space on my residential property to advertisers?
No advertising is allowed on residential sites other than "for sale" signs and professional practice boards of professional persons practising from their residence (eg doctor, architect, engineer), subject to certain guidelines.

Can I advertise my business by placing boards on spikes or sandwich boards on road verges and road islands?
No. Road verges and islands are council property. Only estate agent boards are permitted, subject to certain guidelines.

Can I advertise my business on posters on street poles?
No. Posters can only be displayed on street poles after approval and payment of deposits to the municipality. Posters may only display events or occasions of public interest such as elections, charitable functions, grand prix events etc.

What about billboards?
A large number of billboards already existed in Buffalo City before the introduction of the advertising signage policy. No further billboard applications will be accommodated unless they are within industrial areas and even then will be considered with some circumspection.

What is going to happen to all the illegal advertising boards around Buffalo City?
They will be removed once the necessary resources are available. The guilty parties will be billed on their monthly water and lights accounts for the cost of removal. Failure to pay will be treated as any other failure to pay (ie disconnection of electricity, legal action, etc). This plan will only be put into action after a public awareness campaign has been conducted so that guilty parties can have the opportunity to remove the illegal signage themselves.

Are schools and sports clubs allowed to erect advertising boards?
A special concession applies to schools and sports clubs. They are permitted to erect advertising boards to generate income. There are, however, specific guidelines that must be adhered to:

• All the signboards should be of the same size, they should be grouped homogeneously and should not detract from the amenity of the area.

• Where advertising boards are envisaged at sports clubs within residential areas, the written approval of all residents across the road facing on to the proposed advertising boards is required before the municipality will grant approval. It must be remembered that the defacing of street frontages with advertising has a detrimental effect on market values of residential properties facing on to the advertising.