By Isaac Mahlangu

Joburg residents have only two weeks to have their say about council plans to turn areas like Rosebank and Sandton into high-density flatland.

Last year, the city unveiled its five-year Integrated Development Plan which detailed a looming big squeeze - developments of 200 homes per hectare - for business areas like Sandton, Rosebank, and Illovo.

Now the plan has been revised to include Parktown and no limits have been set on housing densities in Rosebank, Sandton, Illovo, Parktown and Midrand.

Residents have until April 26 to comment on the proposals.

Council spokesman Virgil James said town planning bylaws already in place would still determine building height restrictions and other limitations.

"Plans still have to be submitted to council and evaluated," he said.

Areas such as Rosebank, Sandton and Midrand are set to be the most affected by high- density developments because of their proximity to the Gautrain, major roads, business centres and shopping malls.

The revised plan also states that the city will "actively support higher density residential development proposals" in areas like Soweto's Kliptown, Nasrec, the Joburg inner city and Midrand.

Sandton councillor Gilda Hurwitz said she worried that the new high-rise developments would not be serving their intended purpose.

"I understand that we need homes for poorer people, and having high densities in the middle of Sandton at R2-million per unit is not going to help the poor," she said.

Rosebank councillor Ian Ollis questioned the city's public participation process.

"The process is often a flawed one. Often the Integrated Development Plan has been finalised behind closed doors and the budget already prepared before the roadshow of public participation occurs," he said.

"I am very much in favour of high-level planning for Rosebank surrounding the Gautrain station, provided the residents and business people are consulted and involved to some degree in this planning process."

Houghton councillor Marcelle Ravid said her residents had taken a proactive approach.

They have hired town-planners to formulate plans for their suburb - including details of apartment blocks of which they approve and where they believe they should be built.

"They have all presented their plans to the council and most of their plans were accepted," Ravid said.

Sunday Times