SIDEWALKS ARE MUNICIPAL PROPERTY THAT SHOULD BE FREE OF OBSTRUCTION TO KEEP OUR PEDESTRIANS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SAFE

There is an increased tendency for residents to extend their properties onto municipal sidewalk between their erf boundary and the road edge.

Whilst the beautification of the streetscape is appreciated to help beautify our towns, please keep in mind that sidewalks are municipal-owned land (not private land) and the purpose of sidewalks is to provide a road reserve space for municipal services, as well as for the safe movement of pedestrians.

With reference to Section 3 of the Langeberg Bylaw related to Roads and Streets, 2023 (PN 8818), you are therefore requested to please take note of the following:

• All structures and gardens must be within property boundaries.
• No built structures whatsoever are permitted on sidewalks or within the road reserve.
• Gardening on sidewalks is strongly discouraged where it risks causing damage to underground municipal utilities such as water and sewer pipelines. Where this occurs, the private individual will be responsible for related costs of repairs.
• The municipality is entitled to dig up any sidewalk to attend to servicing problems, such as a burst water pipe, and cannot be held liable for any losses of garden areas which have been established on sidewalks.
• Where a property owner has paved the entrance to the property or sidewalk and the municipality has to disturb the surface to maintain services, the reinstatement of paving will be for the owner’s account. The municipality will only backfill the area and make it safe.