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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) is conducting a Local Development Plan (LDP) survey as part of the local authority’s masterplan review.

BCC is conducting consultations to review the city’s masterplan which should guide Bulawayo’s development up to 2035.

The council last year observed that it could not fulfil most of the targets on the 2000 to 2015 masterplan due to under-performing economic among other unseen shocks.

The council from yesterday until this month end will conduct the LDP survey in Famona, Bradfield, Southwold, Barham Green, Montrose, Morningside, Malindela, Ilanda, Greehill and Hillcrest suburbs.

The survey aims at establishing the number of people living in those suburbs, their social economic characteristics including incomes, conditions of properties and how they access urban services such as water, sewer and roads among other things.

The council said while the survey started with mentioned suburbs, the process will spread across the city.
BCC senior public relations officer Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said the LDP will also guide council on what is acceptable and unacceptable within certain residential areas.

Residents are expected to spell out what is acceptable and unacceptable within their localities.

She encouraged residents to participate in the process.

“Following the survey, the City will then create policy proposal to ensure that the Local Development Plan aligns with the Master Plan and indicates what is permissible and not permissible in a local area. This would contribute to city expansion in a bid to ensure that the local area is vibrant, accessible, safe, affordable, durable and maintains its aesthetics and remains traditional (that is the original layout can be determined in years to come). Conducting the survey will be of benefit to the residents as it will indicate to the residents clearly what is legal and illegal in their locality, ensure order and indicate the clear vision of where the suburb is going,” said Mrs Mpofu.

“The survey also entails checking the condition of the houses and puts policy recommendations to upgrade and refurbish the aesthetics and also make recommendations to service providers.”

She explained that a local development plan is a statutory plan to guide development and has to feed into the master plan..

“Bulawayo city has an operative Master Plan and for specific areas it has to have local plans. The hierarchy of plans is Master Plan, Local Development Plan and Local Subject Plan. The plans guide development and protects the City. All cities must be guided by statutory plans and these are crafted to guide development and ensure development control.

The plans are used to protect open spaces and protect the rights of citizens as without them people can conduct unregulated activities which can also put their lives at risk,” she said.

Mrs Mpofu said the country’s laws compel the city to conduct the LDP plan. — @nqotshili