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Environmental Services

CONTACT
Environmental Services
82 Meade Street, George
044 802 2900

Environmental Health Practitioner: Tanja Botha

DOCUMENTS
Click for Bylaw Air Pollution Control

OVERGROWN PROPERTIES
Property owners are responsible for keeping their properties from becoming overgrown. The municipal bylaw stipulates that overgrown erven, including edges, must be cut and planted trees and shrubs pruned.

Reporting overgrown PRIVATE properties:
Please report overgrown private properties to the above number or email ayani@george.gov.za , anontshikiza@george.gov.za or tabotha@george.gov.za. Please provide details of why you consider it overgrown, the address of the overgrown site as well as your contact details.

An inspection will take place within seven working days from when the report was officially logged with the department. Determining whether a property is overgrown is at the discretion of the Environmental Health Practitioner, but generally, it would be considered overgrown when grass is above knee height. Shrubbery size requirements are based on the growth form of particular plants and are considered on merit.

Suppose the property is found to be overgrown. In that case, the property owner will be informed accordingly by registered post and instructed to clear the property within 14 to 21 work days from the date on the registered letter.
Once the notice period has expired, the property will be inspected again. If found to be still overgrown, a municipal contractor will be appointed and instructed to clear the property within five working days. The cost of clearing will be added to the property owner’s municipal account.

Please note properties belonging to provincial or national government departments are handled in the same way as private properties and should be reported as above.

Reporting overgrown MUNICIPAL properties:
Please report overgrown municipal properties ton number above or email hspies@george.gov.za (grassed properties) or nvumindaba@george.gov.za or edbooysen@george.gov.za
The municipality cuts the grass on municipal properties according to a schedule and addresses areas of concern as necessary and according to the available resources.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
The George Municipality has an environmental awareness schools outreach programme, which includes education surrounding responsible waste management and recycling, eco-brick projects and a clean rivers programme. If you want the team to visit your school, contact jfernold@george.gov.za or the above number.

EMISSIONS INVENTORY/DATABASE FOR AIR QUALITY PURPOSES
In terms of the George Municipality’s Air Quality Management Plan and the Bylaw relating to Air Quality Management all below-mentioned industries must provide the George Municipality with their general facility information for air quality purposes and inclusion in the related inventory.

Industries that must provide their information are:
Dry cleaners, landfill areas, wood-drying facilities, spray painters, wastewater treatment works, medical waste incineration, fuel stations, crematoriums, charcoal production, clay brick manufacturing, creosote pole treatment, asphalt plants and boilers – HFO (oil), LPG (gas), paraffin and wood.

A questionnaire, which is compulsory to complete, is available at the Environmental Services Section at 82 Meade Street, George. Please ask the Environmental Health Practitioner / Air Quality Officer at the above number.

NO BEE HIVES IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS
Please note that according to the George Municipality Animals Bylaw, keeping bees in residential areas is illegal.
Report the illegal keeping of bees to Environmental Services on 044 802 2900 or 044 801 6300 after hours.
The owner/keeper will be served with a notice and will have 10 days, from the time of the notice being served, to move the hives. If the owner/keeper does not comply the bees will be removed, and the cost thereof billed to the owner/keeper.
Please report wild bee hives on municipal properties to the Fire Department on 044 801 6300 so the municipality can arrange for them to be moved safely.

Please consult the local telephone directory for the removal of bees on private properties.
Active hives are very dangerous, are especially unpredictable in hot weather, and should not be handled, moved or harvested for honey by inexperienced hands.

Swarming bees can be deadly to people and animals and should not be underestimated – do not try to remove a hive yourself, do not throw stones at it or poke it with a stick, and stop other people from doing so.

 

Licensing of Spaza Shops, House Shops and other Food Premises
All businesses mentioned below or who conduct businesses as below must apply for a business licence:

Sale or supply of meals or perishable foodstuffs
The carrying on of business by the sale or supply to consumers of –

  • any foodstuff in the form of meals for consumption on or off the business premises; or
  • any perishable foodstuffs.

Health Establishments
The carrying on of business by

  • providing Turkish baths, saunas or other health baths;
  • providing massage or infrared treatment;
  • making the services of an escort, whether male or female, available to any other person.

Entertainment
The carrying on of business by

  • keeping three or more mechanical, electronic, or electrical contrivances, instruments, apparatus or devices which are designed or used for the purpose of the playing of any game or for the purpose of recreation or amusement, and the operation which involves the payment of any valuable consideration, either by the insertion of a coin, token coin or disc therein or in an appliance attached thereto or in any other manner;
  • keeping three or more snooker or billiard tables;
  • keeping or conducting a night club or discotheque;
  • keeping or conducting a cinema or theatre.

Hawking in meals or perishable foodstuffs
The carrying on of business, whether as principal, employee or agent, by selling any foodstuff in the form of meals or any perishable foodstuff

  • which is conveyed from place to place, whether by vehicle or otherwise;
  • on a public road or at any other place accessible to the public; or
  • in, on or from a movable structure or stationery vehicle; unless the business is conveyed by a licence for a business referred to in item 1 of this Schedule


HOW TO APPLY FOR A BUSINESS LICENCE?
An application form must be completed, which can be obtained at the George Municipality, Department for Environmental Services situated at 82 Meade Street, George and at the Municipal Offices in Uniondale. The application fee for a Business licence and an Entertainment licence is R 74,20.  The fee for a hawkers’ licence is R 30,36.  Please note that the application fee is not refundable.

The following documents must be submitted with the application:

  1. Fully completed and signed application form and proof of payment.
  2. Copy of certified ID or passport.
  3. Copy of certified certificate of acceptability (COA).
  4. Copy of the municipal account where the business is operated.
  5. Site plan indicating where the premises is located. The site plan must indicate details of the type of structure or the building from which business is conducted.
  6. Proof of ownership or permission to utilise business premises.
  7. Business registration with the CIPC.

The processing of the application will take up to thirty (30) working days before an outcome will be available.  Note that the Municipality may refuse the application.


OTHER REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO SHOPS

Building Plan Requirements 
The structure from which a shop is operated must have an approved building plan. House shops must be operated from structures that comply with the requirements for human occupancy in terms of the National Building Regulations and Building standards Act, 1977.

A building plan application must consist of at least the following:

  • Site Plan
  • Floor Layout
  • Section
  • Elevations
  • Fire Protection Plan

The building plans must clearly indicate the structure’s intended use, including all relevant services such as electrical, plumbing, water reticulation, ventilation, sanitaryware etc.  The application must be compiled by a registered competent person and submitted on the Collaborator Portal. The application will be circulated to relevant municipal departments and other authorities for comments and compliance verification with applicable laws and regulations.

Minor Works / Temporary Structures / Buildings
Temporary buildings/structures means, any structure or erection or part of structure or erection which is intended to be used only for temporary purpose for a definite period and which is made of temporary and quickly removable building material other  than material of permanent nature. These structures are multi-purpose, portable structures that offer protection under all weather conditions.

These include:

  1. Containers
  2. Wendy House type structures
  3. Mobile units
  4. Or any similar structures/buildings.

The applicable fees are determined as per the approved tariffs:

  1. New structures calculated at R29 per square meter, subject to minimum fee R424.00.
  2. Change to existing buildings at R23.00 per R850.00 of the estimated cost, subject to minimum fee R424.00.
  3. Minor building works at R424.00.

Inspection Requirements
If the building plan application is approved, three compulsory inspections must be conducted before applying for an Occupation Certificate:

  1. Commencement/Open Trench Inspection
  2. Open Drainage Inspection
  3. Completion Inspection

These inspections must be scheduled two days in advance of the desired inspection date.

Requirements for Occupation Certificate 
To apply for an Occupation Certificate, the following compliance certificates are required:

  • Electrical Compliance Certificate
  • Plumbing Compliance Certificate
  • Certificate of Acceptability for Food Premises (if applicable, to be obtained from Garden Route District Municipality)
  • Gas Certificate (if applicable)
  • Glazing Certificate of Conformance (if safety glass is used)
  • Fire Safety Certificate (if applicable)
  • SANS Form 4 Engineer Certificate (if applicable)
  • SANS Form 4 Architect Certificate (if applicable)

Zoning Requirements applicable to House Shops / Spaza Shops 

  1. In terms of the George Integrated Zoning Scheme By-Law, 2023 Zoning Scheme house shops are permitted as a consent use on properties zone
    Single Residential Zone I and III, and a house shop of 6 square metres or less is permitted on a property zoned Single Residential Zone III as a primary right, meaning that a land use application is not required.
  2. The George Municipality: Town Planning Policy on House Shops and Other Residential Based Retail Concerns (House Shop policy) was adopted by the George Council on 25 August 2021 and provides details regarding the allowance of house shops and other retail or services type businesses in residential areas.
  3. The Municipality issued guidelines for the submission of House shop applications which have been simplified to assist property owner with the process of legalising the business operated from their property.

Documents required to be submitted with the application and include:

  1. A simplified site layout plan illustrating, inter alia, the structures on site and respective uses (dwelling house vs house shop);
  2. Public participation to be followed;
    A simplified application form and motivation memorandum (one document) which can be filled in by hand or be made available electronically.
    An application fee will be payable on submission of the application.  The processing of the application will take up to 60 days before an outcome is provided.

The guidelines and application form are available on the Municipality’s website or at the Planning front desk on the 5th Floor of the Main Building. The complete application can be submitted by hand at the Planning help desk at 71 York Street or e-mailed to town.planning.applications@george.gov.za;  (Note that this applies only to house shops/spaza shops. All other land use applications must be submitted electronically via the portal).

The application must be submitted by the landowner or be accompanied by a sufficient power of attorney be provided by the landowner.

Should the property owner, receive a land use approval for the house shop from planning, the owner must still ensure that the required Building Plan approvals and Business Licence is obtained.

The Health Certificate and the Certificate of Acceptability, which is also required, is issued by the Garden Route District Municipality.