They say they have reached desperation point.

Developers have begun to build without properly approved plans because it takes so long to get a decision. Residents, in turn, are furious because developers are building regardless of their objections.

The disbanding of the town planning tribunal several months ago hasn't helped to clear the backlog of applications.

The city did away with the tribunal, which was made up of councillors from different political parties, saying it was causing the backlogs. It was replaced by a planning committee of council officials.

Democratic Alliance spokesperson on planning Judith Briggs said the new committee had not helped because the root of the problem lay in the planning department itself, where backlogs were caused.

"After three weeks of hearings by the new committee, during which time 86 applications were scheduled to be heard, we were told that the job has been done and that there was no further backlog. The committee sat without work for weeks.

"However, what this means is that the backlog is with the planning department, not with the tribunal," said Briggs.

"The new method is flawed. We would applaud streamlining in the department but seriously question whether anything at all has been achieved by merely changing the planning body hearing the applications."

Jaron Tobias is a property developer who applied to the town planning department almost a year ago for four sub-
divisions which, under normal circumstances, should take no longer than six months.

"When I call the department I am treated with contempt and told I must wait my turn. No indication of the time-frame is given nor any explanation, except that they are understaffed.

"It is ridiculous, to say the least, that I must have holding costs on an ongoing basis and not have the required service.

"The construction industry is a large employer in this country. and if we could alleviate the bottleneck at the council, many more developments could proceed, and that would certainly assist the unemployment crisis this county faces," said Tobias.

David Beer, a Fairland resident, is frustrated because a developer has started to build on the property next to him in blatant infringement of the law.

"Neither subdivision nor building plans have been granted," he said. "Neighbours requested that subdivision be granted subject to a single-storey dwelling being built, yet the developer is putting up a double-storey house.

"The new buildings will look directly into my garden. I have not given consent, as required by law, yet he is proceeding.

"The building inspector has told him to stop because he is acting illegally, yet he continues. It appears that builders can ignore the law and erect structures as and when they feel it is most profitable to do so."

The developer, Eric Nel, said he submitted his plans in March and was still waiting for final approval. The plans were approved in principle - with only a few minor changes to be made - but he was battling to get the approval.

He had also been waiting for a subdivision decision for two years. "We cannot be expected to sit around and wait for years - it costs us and the economy a lot of money."

City of Johannesburg spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane said they were aware of all the challenges in dealing with planning applications and had put in place a system to deal with the existing backlog.

The turnaround time for planning applications had increased tremendously, he said. Improvements in place included approvals for rezonings - eight months for rezoning, five months for consent use, 30 days for building plans and 10 months for township applications.

"However, it should be emphasised that the quality of the information supplied on applications does impact on the turnaround times," Modingoane added. "The city has, over the past two years, developed a tracking system. This is an efficient management tool,
which assists with the tracking of all applications captured in the system.

"A new decision-making process ... is fully operational and significant strides have been made in dealing with the backlog and appeals."