The City of Johannesburg’s Development Planning Department is making major strides in fast-tracking building plans in previously disadvantaged areas through the Construction Permit Management System (CPMS). 

The CPMS was officially piloted in January and seeks to migrate the submission and approval of building plans from paper-based manual submissions to digital. 

Despite the glitches the system had earlier experienced, the Development Planning team is now meeting its goal of processing plans in three days. 

This includes 2.92 days for commercial plans and 3.02 days for residential plans. The department recently approved 109 building plans for the Lehae and Lufhereng Integrated Residential Development Programme (IRDP) projects. 

MMC Belinda Echeozonjoku said the CPMS system and the department's demonstrated quality present an opportunity for the City of Johannesburg to show a determined change toward superior customer service and improved standards. 

“The expedited process for approval of IRDP housing allows the City to tackle apartheid spatial planning and give effect to the Mayoral Priority of building an inclusive City by providing affordable housing opportunities in well-located land in the City to those that live far from social and employment opportunities and including communities often excluded into the formal built environment processes in gaining momentum.” 

MMC Echeozonjoku further stated: “This presents a chance to improve the ease of doing business in the City and to provide much needed housing but will create job opportunities for many, and opportunities for local small, medium and micro enterprises to be empowered once construction commences.”