Van Riebeeckshof is a designed neighbourhood, and the association’s approval exists to protect that, and the value of your property. The rule is simple and it is enforced: no building activity starts before both the association and the City have approved the plans.
That includes work you might not think of as “building”: a swimming pool, a boundary wall, a carport, a new gate, solar panels, a water tank, air-conditioning units, and repainting the outside of the house.
Do this first. Before you appoint anyone, phone the managing agent on 021 943 4340 and describe what you want to do. It takes ten minutes and it prevents the most expensive mistakes, plans drawn twice, or work stopped mid-site.
The process, in order
- Check what applies. Read the rules summary and the relevant sections of the Guidelines & Rules of Conduct. If anything is unclear, ask the managing agent or the association’s architectural consultant, Danie de Wet.
- Have plans drawn. Two sets of working drawings, in colour, prepared to City by-laws and to the association’s design standards. A registered architect or draughtsperson will know the format.
- Submit to the managing agent. Two colour sets, the completed building submission forms, the plan scrutiny fee and the building deposit go to Nolands at Willowbridge. This is the association’s submission, not the City’s.
- The trustees review. Submissions are considered at trustee meetings. You get a written response, and approved plans are stamped and returned for you to collect.
- Submit to the City. The stamped set goes to the City of Cape Town (Tygerberg administration) for building plan approval. Council fees are for your account.
- Build. Work may only start once you hold both approvals. The association may inspect the site during working hours to check compliance, and can issue a stop-work order.
- Complete and claim back. On completion the deposit is refunded, subject to inspection. The initial building must be finished within nine months; a phased project needs written permission and the first phase must meet the minimum floor area.
What the design rules require
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Height | Two storeys maximum (ground plus first floor). More needs City approval, neighbours’ consent and the association’s approval. |
| Floor area | Minimum 200 m² per dwelling, excluding outbuildings and garages. |
| Boundary walls | Maximum 2 m from natural ground. No pre-cast concrete. Plastered and painted on every face, including the side facing a green belt. |
| Palisade / fence | Maximum 1.8 m, between columns set roughly 3–5 m apart. Painted historic green, charcoal, black or white. |
| Roofs | Pitch between 25° and 45°. Flat roofs concealed behind a fascia, beam or parapet, and not visible from the street. |
| Solar panels | Integrated into the roof, not mounted on a frame, and (where practical) not visible from the street. Must be on the plans. |
| Water tanks | Integrated, covered, not visible from the road, and shown on the plans. No tanks on a sub-structure. |
| Mechanical plant | Air-conditioners, pool pumps, ducts and grills screened from the street and from neighbours, and shown on the plans. |
| External paint | Warm neutral or light earth tones. Colour combinations must be approved before painting starts. The rules include a list of NCS colours that may not be used. |
Fees are set by the trustees and change from time to time. The plan scrutiny fee and the building deposit are both payable to the managing agent at submission. Ask Nolands for the current amounts before you budget, they are not published on this site.
Rules for contractors on site
- Hours: Monday to Friday 08:00–18:00, Saturday 08:00–17:00. No work on Sundays or public holidays. Anything outside those hours needs the neighbours’ and the association’s prior permission.
- Rubble: removed weekly by the contractor, never dumped on open space or in the green belt, and never burnt on site.
- Deliveries: weekdays only, during normal working hours. Material off-loaded in the street must be moved onto the site immediately.
- Site conduct: the roadway and pavement kept clean, toilet facilities provided, one watchman allowed overnight, and all contractor boards consolidated onto a single board.
If work is done without approval
The association can issue a stop-work order and, in serious cases, apply to court for an interdict at the owner’s cost. It can also refuse to consider plans from an owner who is not in good standing. The cheaper path is always the first one.