Major moves are underway to upgrade the railway line at the coast and to relocate the Swakopmund railway station to the outskirts of town. If the existing plans give any clear indication, the residents of Swakopmund
will soon have a new railway station on the northeastern edge of town.
At its final meeting for 2013, the Swakopmund Town Council resolved to donate the land needed by TransNamib for “the purpose of relocating the railway station and providing new siding, including rails for shunting operations…”
As the size of the land required has not yet been established, Council at its monthly meeting on 28 November, instructed the Engineering Services Department “to determine the relevant portion of Portion B of the Swakopmund Town and Townlands No 41 that would be required for the establishment of a railway line and railway siding.”
The remainder of Portion B, the exact size of which has yet to be determined, will be donated to TransNamib. The area in question lies to the west of the back road that runs to Henties Bay. Instead of running into town the new railway line bends in northerly direction, runs past the proposed new salt works and ends near the northern reaches of the DRC.
The existing map indicates some overlap between the proposed area on which the new railway line will be built and the makeshift homes of the DRC residents. The new station will be located on the eastern edge of the DRC, to the north of the Swakopmund airport and runway.
The area is currently zoned as 'parastatal', but as the meaning is not clearly defined in the Town Planning Scheme, the new erf will be rezoned as 'authority', referring to areas demarcated for governmental institutions. Council had already resolved in May that “in future land will be donated to parastatals as new townships develop and that parastatals be required to provide the equivalent value as social responsibility.”
Council thus proposed that instead of charging for the commercial value of the land, to donate the land to TransNamib, who will then be expected to contribute to the town in terms of “social responsibility”, equal to the value of the erf donated to TransNamib, at a rate of N$20/ square metre (m²).
As it is not yet clear what precisely is meant by “social responsibility”, it was also resolved that “a submission be tabled to Council in 2014 to determine what Council considers within the scope of 'social responsibility' together with the relevant guidelines and rules…”
The probable market value of the land to be allocated to TransNamib had been assessed at N$20 per m² for unserviced land (N$80/ m² once serviced) although the precise size has not yet been determined. If they require more land TransNamib will have to submit such application for approval, Council noted. If any more land is needed by TransNamib it will be sold at a rate of N$20/m².
The proposed new site for the Salt Company's salt works will be situated immediately behind the new station, just to the east of the ever-expanding DRC. The area is zoned 'general industrial' and serviced land was valued at N$80/m²; unserviced N$40/m². The proposed design of the railway and new station shows that a new access road will link the station and salt works to the back road that runs to Henties Bay.
The internal and external services must be completed within 24 months of signing the deed of sale, and Council resolved last week that TransNamib should however first submit its layout plans, indicating civil service infrastructure, building plans, as well as “service demand” prior to installing the services.
Council also noted in its resolution that should TransNamib no longer need the land for its operations, it must be “retransferred to Council” and “must be offered to Council at the original purchase price…”
At its final meeting for 2013, the Swakopmund Town Council resolved to donate the land needed by TransNamib for “the purpose of relocating the railway station and providing new siding, including rails for shunting operations…”
As the size of the land required has not yet been established, Council at its monthly meeting on 28 November, instructed the Engineering Services Department “to determine the relevant portion of Portion B of the Swakopmund Town and Townlands No 41 that would be required for the establishment of a railway line and railway siding.”
The remainder of Portion B, the exact size of which has yet to be determined, will be donated to TransNamib. The area in question lies to the west of the back road that runs to Henties Bay. Instead of running into town the new railway line bends in northerly direction, runs past the proposed new salt works and ends near the northern reaches of the DRC.
The existing map indicates some overlap between the proposed area on which the new railway line will be built and the makeshift homes of the DRC residents. The new station will be located on the eastern edge of the DRC, to the north of the Swakopmund airport and runway.
The area is currently zoned as 'parastatal', but as the meaning is not clearly defined in the Town Planning Scheme, the new erf will be rezoned as 'authority', referring to areas demarcated for governmental institutions. Council had already resolved in May that “in future land will be donated to parastatals as new townships develop and that parastatals be required to provide the equivalent value as social responsibility.”
Council thus proposed that instead of charging for the commercial value of the land, to donate the land to TransNamib, who will then be expected to contribute to the town in terms of “social responsibility”, equal to the value of the erf donated to TransNamib, at a rate of N$20/ square metre (m²).
As it is not yet clear what precisely is meant by “social responsibility”, it was also resolved that “a submission be tabled to Council in 2014 to determine what Council considers within the scope of 'social responsibility' together with the relevant guidelines and rules…”
The probable market value of the land to be allocated to TransNamib had been assessed at N$20 per m² for unserviced land (N$80/ m² once serviced) although the precise size has not yet been determined. If they require more land TransNamib will have to submit such application for approval, Council noted. If any more land is needed by TransNamib it will be sold at a rate of N$20/m².
The proposed new site for the Salt Company's salt works will be situated immediately behind the new station, just to the east of the ever-expanding DRC. The area is zoned 'general industrial' and serviced land was valued at N$80/m²; unserviced N$40/m². The proposed design of the railway and new station shows that a new access road will link the station and salt works to the back road that runs to Henties Bay.
The internal and external services must be completed within 24 months of signing the deed of sale, and Council resolved last week that TransNamib should however first submit its layout plans, indicating civil service infrastructure, building plans, as well as “service demand” prior to installing the services.
Council also noted in its resolution that should TransNamib no longer need the land for its operations, it must be “retransferred to Council” and “must be offered to Council at the original purchase price…”
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