, , ,

Q1 REVIEW, WINTER PREPARATION & WHEELIE BIN SAFETY

As we move into the cooler months, we’re looking back and highlighting the efforts made during Q1 to keep the Strand Business Improvement District a safe and clean place to live, work and visit. At this time, we also start preparing for winter with all the necessary maintenance to public space, and we ask you to take care of your property and business by doing the same. Lastly, we offer our safety tips for your wheelie bin, which can become a security hazard, especially as our daylight hours decrease.

Looking back at Q1

For Quarter One 2024, we focused on maintaining a safe environment through our security initiatives, which include ensuring bin-pickers and loiterers are monitored and dealt with.  Additionally, the Strand Business Improvement District’s cleanliness was a priority, with our cleaning services ensuring a well-maintained space through initiatives such as emptying public bins on time and cleaning public gutters when needed. You can learn more about what we accomplished this quarter below.

Wheelie Bin Safety

Learn how to keep your wheelie bin and property safe, or replace a lost bin, with these helpful tips.

Keeping your wheelie bin secure benefits both you and the community. Clearly marking your bin with your house number or address increases the chances of its safe return if it gets misplaced. But security goes beyond just the bin itself. To ensure your overall safety, be mindful of what you throw away. Avoid discarding medication bottles with your name or address visible. Shred any personal documents before disposal to prevent identity theft.

Bin placement also plays a role in security. Leaving your wheelie bin too close to walls or fences creates a potential climbing aid for trespassers. Ideally, store your bin in a designated area, like a garage or shed, whenever possible. If not, position it in a well-lit, open area away from fences and walls. By following these simple tips, you can keep your wheelie bin secure and reduce potential security risks around your property.

Winter Readiness

The crisp air and cosy vibes of winter are fast approaching, but so are the challenges of rain, wind and potential disruptions. Don’t get caught off guard! We’ve got you covered with essential tips to navigate the season seamlessly. 

From keeping your property prepared and business functioning smoothly, to staying safe on the roads, these handy suggestions will help you embrace the winter flow. 

Renewal of the Strand Business Improvement District

Great news for Strand! The City of Cape Town Council has approved the renewal of the Strand Business Improvement District for the next five years. This renewal signifies the continued commitment to enhancing the area’s safety, cleanliness and overall prosperity.

You can expect to see the positive impacts of the renewal through initiatives such as:

Enhanced security: Continued investment in security measures and crime prevention programs will help to create a safer environment for everyone.

Increased cleanliness: Consistent cleaning services and beautification projects will ensure a well-maintained and attractive district.

Economic development: The improvement districts will continue to work towards attracting new businesses, fostering economic growth, and creating a thriving environment for existing businesses.

By working together, the Strand Business Improvement Districts and property owners can keep the area vibrant and thriving.

You can view the approval letter for the extended term here.

/by
, ,

Update on our results for 2022!

In the last few months, we’ve been working hard on our most important goals all to make our community a safe, rich urban environment where our community can thrive. 

Here is what we have achieved so far:  

/by

Illegal Dumping: What It Is and How to Stop It

Did you know? That annually over 180 000 tons of waste are cleared from illegal dumping hot spots! That costs the city, and you as the taxpayer, a staggering R350 million a year just in clean-up. In other words, cleaning illegal dumping costs 20 times more than collecting waste from wheelie bins. That is why to create a clean, healthy and safe community we take our work tackling illegal dumping very seriously. 

“Illegal dumping is a severe problem that puts our community at risk of injury and illness and pollutes our ecosystem. In addition, illegal dumpsites can serve as magnets for other criminal activities,” says Gene Lohrentz, CEO of the urban management company, Geocentric. 

Here is what we have learnt when it comes to illegal dumping. 

What is illegal dumping?

Illegal dumping is the disposal of unwanted materials in inappropriate places. Be it household rubbish, building waste or industrial debris, improper disposal has disastrous effects on the environment, economy and community.

Our teams are dedicated to cleaning our community and have cleaned thousands of cases of illegal dumping in the last year!

Protecting Property Values

Our daily work with the City of Cape Town’s (COCT) Solid Waste By-law Enforcement Unit protects our district from plummeting property values. By cleaning, we keep our community member’s properties safe by preventing pest issues, blocked storm drains and plastic pollution.  

Clean streets don’t just look great, they also improve the value of properties. The study ‘Value of cleaner neighbourhoods’ found that residents will pay up to 57% more to live in a clean neighbourhood. By being part of the solution business owners can help protect and even increase the market value of their property and make their establishments more inviting for customers. 

Protecting Public Health 

Vermin are attracted to dump sites making these sites sources of disease and infection. Anyone near a dump site risks getting sick both from the hazardous materials dumped and from the diseases spread by rats. These diseases aren’t only formidable – they’re often fatal. Rat urine is responsible for diseases like Leptospirosis ( causing kidney and liver damage) and Hantavirus, a debilitating viral bronchial disease. Rats also gnaw at cables, transformers and electrics causing expensive damage to businesses.

By cleaning up this waste before it attracts vermin, we put a stop to these health hazards before they happen. 

Preventing Floods 

Water sustains life, but it can also cause widespread destruction, as we saw during the recent flooding in KwaZulu-Natal. As our most precious and essential resource we must treasure it – for if we don’t, we will suffer. 

Illegal dumping is a terrifying threat to the water management of our district. When it rains, excess litter is swept into drains and sewers, blocking them and causing trash flash floods. Flooding, and the infrastructure damage it causes, puts immense pressure on emergency services when they are needed most.

To make sure our city can handle the rain we collect all dumping regularly and clean the stormwater drains as part of our winter preparedness programme. 

Pulverizing Plastic Pollution

A large percentage of waste illegally dumped is plastic. We are well aware that its consequences are far-reaching, but we are tackling this challenge too. When possible, we sort the waste and recycle what we can instead of sending it all to a landfill. By sorting recyclables, we help reduce the waste in our waterways and create employment opportunities. 

We understand it’s almost impossible to recycle all waste. However, we also know that big things have small beginnings. We all make small changes to bring about positive collective transformation.  Where possible, we must all take the opportunity to recycle.

How You Can Help Combat Illegal Dumping?

The COCT provides the tools necessary to crack down on illegal dumping and needs citizens to get involved. By reporting dumping you help the City make improvements and encourage others to do the same. Plus, it’s an easy way to beautify your neighbourhood and help keep it safe.

Although the issue is vast, if we all play our part together, we can create a greener, cleaner future for ourselves and future generations.

If you spot something, say something!

To report illegal dumping in your community:

  • Call 0860 103 089 or email solidwaste.bylaw@capetown.gov.za.  
  • If you have the culprit’s vehicle registration number and/or can identify him/her you can shortcut the process and call 021 400 6157 

Contact details: 

If you have any safety concerns to report, please contact one of the following numbers:

·       10111 – SAPS (South African Police Services)

·        107 – City of Cape Town Disaster Management

·        0860 103 099 – Secure Rite Control Room

 

/by
,

Welcoming a new year, new challenges and new triumphs

As we charge into 2022, there is undeniable trepidation surrounding the new challenges and triumphs the year will bring. This year we will continue to create an urban ecosystem that is safe, accessible and inviting to all the workers, visitors and community members of our district. As in years before, we are unwavering in our commitment to the property and business owners of our area and intend to consolidate and elevate our services based on the successes of last year.  

In 2022 we strive to:  

  • Create a safe and clean public environment by addressing issues of maintenance and by cleaning our streets, pavements and public spaces.  
  • Increase public safety through proactive visible patrolling and by supporting the efforts of the SAPS, City of Cape Town and private security providers.  
  • Manage existing and new public infrastructure for the future benefit of our community members.   
  • Decrease property-related crime to protect community members through our security-related partnerships and to protect property values to attract new investment to the area.  
  • Support the promotion of the businesses in our area by implementing urban greening, promoting energy efficiency initiatives, widening our recycling networks and bettering our risk and disaster management services.  
  • Support and promote social responsibility in the area and assist with the management and upliftment of people living on the streets.  
  • Encourage the maintenance and upgrading of private properties and public spaces in the area. 

We believe in the heart of our institution that the challenges we face are not insurmountable. 

Together with the City of Cape Town, our partners, outreach initiatives and local business owners, we will continue to strive towards reinvigorating our urban environment. Ultimately, together we can create a stable, safe, clean area that is prosperous for our community both economically and socially.  

Headlines from the City  

The City of Cape Town warns to be aware of scammers posing as electricity officials to gain access to your wallet and home. All officials will have an identification card with the City logo, with their name and surname and a photo. If you have any doubts call the COCT on 0860 103 089 to confirm their ID and work order number. 

The City of Cape Town urges their suppliers to be cautious of fake Request for Quotation (RFQ) emails sent to them, as if it is being sent from the City. Please report any suspicious emails to the City for further investigation.  

Struggling to pay your rates and taxes? The City of Cape Town has a wide range of financial relief options available. To learn more, click  here.   

/by
,

Dreaming of Future Strand

At the Strand Business Improvement District (SBID), we strive towards creating a safer, cleaner, and more connected community. We are proud of Strands beginnings as a sleepy seaside village but also understand the potential excellence modernising, integrating, and diversifying our urban community can bring. That is why we are so excited to update you on Future Strand, our initiative aimed at streamlining the decision-making processes involved in district improvement to maximise efficiency on our path to reinstituting Strand as a prime place to earn, explore and enjoy.

Strand Business Improvement District (BID) – Sculpture Walk

Future Strand is a Srand Business Improvement District (SBID) initiative dedicated to revitalizing our neighbourhood by providing a space where the Strand BID, residents, business owners and officials from the City of Cape Town can come together to solve challenges. In the past few months, Future Strand and its workgroups have worked on multiple interventions to ignite inter-organisation motivation and create the momentum necessary for change. 

Ultimately, local business stakeholders like you matter most, and through initiatives like Future Strand, we can all benefit from hearing your suggestions. After all, according to the World Bank, SMEs like yours account for approximately 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide. As part of a country in dire need of progress, we believe at the Strand BID that we must actively support SME growth to create jobs that will feed our people and educate the next generation of our leaders.  

So, how does one go about revitalising a local economy? Well, we work together.

Strand Business Improvement District (BID) – Showcasing local artists

Future Strand will host regular round tables to discuss topics like:

  • Introducing the Internal Project Management Team for the Community-Driven Planning Initiative.
  • Discussing Future Strand’s stakeholder mapping to ensure everyone has a voice and is included as part of the stakeholder management planning process. 
  • Deliberating over how future NGO mapping can educate, mobilise and prioritise local NGOs and allocate resources to developing appropriate support. 

We also believe that Arts and Culture form the soul of a city, which is why the Strand BID is giving our full support in protecting Urban Art Initiatives by:

  • Maintaining urban spaces surrounding the planned ‘Sculpture Walk’. A collaboration between the Strand BID, Lionel Smit Studios, the City of Cape Town, and local business stakeholders resulted in public art installations for all to enjoy along the promenade on Beach Road.
  • Advocating for diversity and inclusion in Urban arts initiatives. The third phase of the Sculpture walk will showcase the splendid work of local sculptors from disadvantaged communities. 
  • Facilitating the integration between local artists and The City of Cape Town in the installation of murals. Murals will be on City property but if you have an idea on how to brighten our streets on private property, contact our Future Strand department on info@futurestrand.co.za and share your thoughts. 
  • Assisting with upgrading public facilities such as circles, public ablutions and the repair and maintenance of the Fountain.
  • Working with the City of Cape Town to begin a Community-Driven Planning initiative to develop a Spatial Framework and Precinct Plan for the CBD. 
  • Collaborating with the Helderberg District Plan, to create a planning structure for new urban development and land-use change for the Strand area. This will guide future land use stipulations and earmark the area for mixed-use intensification which is essential to creating space for businesses at ground level along Beach Road. 
  • Activating cultural events in the area. Currently, a Culture working group is in the planning phase with artists, venues, and sponsors to identify and collate a 2022 Events Calendar.
  • Implementing the 3 markets that are planned for the CBD area, namely a village market, a fresh produce market and a monthly evening market. 
  • Revitalizing the Main Road from the Circle to Fagan Street through greening, sidewalk construction and Road Island upgrades. 
  • Upgrading Informal Market Structures in the new financial year after the data on the current situation has been collected and a plan theorised. All market entrepreneurs will need to register electronically on the city database which assists in legalizing all facets of the market. 
  • We are bewildered by the amount of support that we have already received from property owners in the area. In Beach Road for instance many have contributed largely by carrying out significant facade improvements through painting their buildings and upgrading their fixtures. 

As Business and Property owners in the Strand BID, you can support our bright future by:

  • Supporting Future Strand in formalising the informal market in collaboration with the Area Economic Development Department of the City of Cape Town.
  • Involving your professional network in future initiatives to attract more investment from the private sector to the area by linking new entrepreneurs with investors and empty venues. 
  • Supporting initiatives that support our people, like the Nana’s initiative. Nanas is specifically designed to get older women involved in the creative manufacturing process of upmarket children’s clothing. Their skills of knitting, crocheting, and sewing will help generate stock that can be sold at markets once restrictions are lifted. 
  • Sharing your thoughts on our potential recycling initiative, which will be based on an open-source system that stimulates job creation and minimises our current waste issues. Precious Plastic is an incredible turnkey solution that provides all the necessary information to start. 

International Collaboration

To ensure that we are working in line with the latest academic research, Future Strand has established a working relationship with Avans Hogeschool in the Netherlands to attract multi-disciplinary teams to assist on issues such as:

  • The development of a sustainable model for community-based initiatives that focus on land-use/spatial planning, urban revitalisation, and socio-economic development.
  • Transport and parking solutions for the Strand Beachfront area.
  • The Socio-Economic revitalisation of the Strand CBD with a focus on ‘Support local’ and unlocking the ‘Adventure’ potential of Strand.
  • Waste management and recycling for the larger Strand area to tackle the waste issue and to establish sustainable businesses based on the waste industry and recycling. 

At the Strand BID, we plan to collaborate extensively long into our prosperous future to generate the wealth of knowledge and financial resources essential to making Strand a sustainable, supportive community. In our ongoing mission to uncover Strands full potential, we are edging closer every day to becoming the commercial urban utopia we dream of being. All we need now is your voice. 

We love focusing on the positive and believe in creating and digitising a community through local Good News storytelling. To be featured as our next #GoodNews story in our next Newsletter simply send your story to info@strandbid.co.za

If you want to learn more about how you can become a part of our Future Strand Initiative contact our Future Strand Project Manager Annelie Rossouw on 082 552 1311or email at annelie.r@mweb.co.za or our Strand BID manager Johan Erasmas on 074 300 0353.

If you have any safety concerns to report, please contact one of the following numbers:

10111 – SAPS (South African Police Services)

107 – City of Cape Town Disaster Management

0860 103 099 – Secure Rite Control Room

/by
,

Strand beachfront: skateboarding as vehicle for citizen-led initiatives

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word ‘Strand’?

The beachfront, undoubtedly.

Since holidays first became a thing in South African society, Strand has drawn crowds – people in search of the soothing lapping of saltwater and endless stretches of white sand. Before this – and still today – it also served as a sought-after fishing and foraging spot, a place to gather delicacies from the deep.

In between, it has also gathered a reputation as a popular surf spot and – with the recent refurbishment of the promenade and seawall – an excellent place for a scenic jog.

But is the beachfront’s full potential really being harnessed? This question has been weighing heavily on Heinrich Rohwer, a local whose passion for watersports and skateboarding leads him to believe a lot can be done to make this public space even more welcoming.

Read more

/by
,

How about an open-air, walkabout museum for Strand?

There are so many apparent reasons why a museum in the heart of Strand – not necessarily confined to a single building or space, but one that could be appreciated and enjoyed on foot by groups and individuals – is an extremely attractive possibility that surely merits further investigation. This is the opinion of Dr Elma Ross, who is convinced that a museum is imperative as a tourist attraction and of course for heritage purposes.

Read more

/by