ABOUT US
ABOUT THE BBMPOA
The BBMPOA is an umbrella association whose members consist of the registered owners of all erven comprising the Big Bay Development.
This association was a requirement from the local authority to provide a mechanism to make funds available for the upkeep and maintenance of public areas and for funding of additional services, as may be required by the property owners (e.g. dedicated security patrols).
The concept is based on City Improvement Districts (CID’s) and Residential Improvement Districts (RID’s) that have been successfully introduced in other existing areas. Levies for this association are currently calculated at 9.75% of your annual rates. This will apply to every registered home owner in Big Bay. The Managing Agent is Trafalgar Property Management, see contact details.
The BBMPOA sets our suburb apart from other suburbs in that the residents living in this area contribute towards the betterment and improvement of the area they live in. The monies raised gets spent right back at home allowing this area to flourish and slowly improve such that its neighbouring suburbs can join the change. The CID (Central improvement district) model was handed to us on a platter.
FAQs
How do I sign up for BBMPOA Fibre (also known as BBF Big Bay Fibre or Demux Fibre)?
You need to be part of a estate that has access to the Big Bay Fibre cable. To see if your estate has access to this cable and much more information on signing up for fibre, please see our Big Bay Fibre page.
Is the BBMPOA a legal entity ?
Yes.
The BBMPOA was established in terms of Section 29 of the Land Use Planning Ordinance as a condition of subdivision imposed by the City of Cape Town.
Am I required to be a member of the BBMPOA?
Yes.
All property owners of every rateable property automatically become a member of the BBMPOA on registration of transfer into their name. All initial purchasers in Big Bay (i.e. those that purchased from the City of Cape Town) became members of the BBMPOA in terms of the conditions of sale. Every subsequent purchaser is required to sign acknowledgement that they will become members of the BBMPOA and agree to abide by the requirements of its constitution prior to the clearance certificate being issued and the transfer taking place.
What happens if I refuse to pay my levy?
Once a property owner’s account has been in arrears for an unacceptable period despite reasonable attempts by the Trustees to recover the debt, the account will be handed over to attorneys for collection. The additional costs including attorney’s fees incurred in collecting the debt is, in terms of the constitution, payable by the property owner. In extreme cases a property can be attached in order to recover the debt.
There is also a title deed condition that requires a property owner to obtain clearance from the BBMPOA before a property can be sold and transferred.
Clearance will only be given where there are no outstanding amounts owing to the BBMPOA.
What benefits will I get for my levy?
The benefits are as follows:
- The landscaping and irrigation in all Big Bay public areas is maintained on a continuous basis.
- Litter is cleared from the public areas on a continuous basis.
- The external facades of the walling and fencing along Otto du Plessis are to be maintained by the BBMPOA. This ensures an acceptable level of maintenance as well as consistency/uniformity along this important scenic corridor.
- The urban beacons at the entrances to Big Bay are maintained by the BBMPOA.
- Alien vegetation is removed from the road reserves and public areas.
- An extensive Security CCTV Camera Network (including 5 licence plate recognition cameras linked to the National Central Intelligence database) monitored 24/7 by our control room to protect our residents.
- Security Foot patrols and 24/7 security vehicle patrols throughout the whole Big Bay area, including into the estates, to protect our residents.
- Maintenance of the public amenities where this function is not undertaken by the City of Cape Town.
The above ultimately adds to and increases the desirability of Big Bay as a residential area and, hence, enhances property values.
How are the levies calculated?
The levies are calculated at 9,75% of the annual rates attributable to each property. The linking of levies to municipal rates (and hence value) provides the most equitable solution and best accommodates different land uses e.g. residential, retail and commercial.
What happens if in my opinion the Council’s valuation is incorrect and therefore my levy is too high?
As with Municipal rates, an incorrect valuation does not absolve the property owner from paying the required levy. If the Municipal valuation is subsequently adjusted, the BBMPOA levy will also be adjusted. In the event that a rates rebate is given, so too will a rebate be given with respect to the BBMPOA levy.
Some of the mayor benefits that the MPOA brings to the table
- A board of Trustees that live in the area and want the best for the area, not just to improve property value but making living here a pleasure, and likewise a Manager that lives in the area, has served on the board of trustees, is a trustee in his own estate and cares greatly for Big Bay and its residents.
- A central knowledge repository to keep all the collective knowledge of our area over time as it develops and changes.
OUR TRUSTEES
Meet your Big Bay Trustees that work together with your BBMPOA Manager & Assistant Manager, Managing Agent and our Service providers to keep Big Bay safe, secure and aesthetically pleasing. Your trustees meet once a month to discuss matters related to the day to day maintenance of our suburb. Our Trustees are all volunteers who give their time and experience free of charge. The BBMPOA board of trustees is made up of 9 trustees elected from 6 blocks consisting of all the estates and developments in big bay.
Security
The MPOA estates work together as a community to increase security through our fibre and shared camera network. We work in partnership with Star Alarms for off site monitoring using technologies such as blackscreen, event driven and analytics to monitor the full area and keep our residents safe.
We now have a 24/7 Star Alarms presence in the area and as such have seen a noticeable improvement in security and steering clear of the broken window effect. We also have our own Law Enforcement unit that have helped in this regard.
Landscaping
The overgrown and dead bush in the Big Bay landscape has all been removed and the natural west coast dune strandveld is growing back as originally envisaged in the Big Bay development framework. This has been supplemented by an Environmental Department approved two-year planting programme;
Phase 1 having been completed in June 2019, early in the winter rainfall season. This Phase covered the planting of around 3,800 approved strandveld shrubs and trees along the Otto du Plessis corridor with an excellent survival rate to date; the plants are well established and we do not expect a high attrition rate during a normal summer cycle.
Phase 2 will take place at the start of the 2020 winter rainfall season and will cover the Cormorant Drive and Big Bay Boulevard corridors as well as supplementary planting along the Otto du Plessis corridor where necessary.
Fibre network
We not only have a large extensive fibre network to primarily improve on our suburb security but through this network we are able to offer the most competitive internet pricing available. DSTV over fibre is another recent feature that was added on to this network for all MPOA fibre connected estates.
The MPOA covers the cost of getting the fibre backbone to the entrance of each estate and the estate takes it from there should they wish to reap the benefits on offer.
Cleanup / litter
The Big Bay has a team that keep our roads clean from litter which is an ongoing job..
Beachfront
The MPOA continues to improve on our beach cleanliness.
Much effort has been put into resuscitating the beachfront lawn (which is considered an iconic Big Bay attraction) that was badly affected during the drought. Large patches of Kikuyu grass died off and were replaced with 700 square metres of hardy Cynodon roll-on lawn more suited to salty coastal conditions. A measured maintenance programme, overseen by a lawn expert, will ensure that the beachfront lawn receives the right treatment and nutrition at the right time. Unfortunately, despite the good winter rains, the water table at the Eden well points is unstable and irrigation of the lawn and beach dune vegetation is irregular.
The City Coastal Management Department is in the process of assessing the option of sinking a borehole to alleviate the irrigation problem.
Community
Be part of a community that is set in one of the most beautiful places in the Western Cape. Our two dedicated shopping centers offer many storefronts situated close to the beach where our unique Park runs take place each low tide Saturday @ 8:00. This and many more activities like it make this is a social and friendly community to live in.
Building guidelines / consistency and uniformity
Big Bay Estates conform to the generic architectural guidelines drawn up by the project’s architectural consultants at the outset and applicable to all buildings throughout Big Bay. This ensures that all the developments in Big Bay are part of our West Coast design theme and keep to a consistency and harmonious visual landscape.