Woodstock Archives | Woodstock Improvement District

WID 2024 roundup & safety tips for the festive season

December 10, 2024 December 10, 2024

As 2024 draws to a close, the Woodstock Improvement District celebrates a year of notable achievements in making Woodstock a cleaner, safer and more vibrant community. And, we share our festive season safety tips for businesses and all those going on holiday this season.

Urban Cleaning Success

This year, our urban cleaning and management efforts have continued to be a priority across our City Improvement District. Thanks to the tireless work of our team, Woodstock’s streets and public spaces remain clean and well maintained. Improved waste management, rapid response to urban defects, and efficient service delivery have all contributed to creating a cleaner environment for residents and businesses.

Crime on the Decline

As was recently reported by uWatch, we’re pleased to report significant reductions in crime across Woodstock and surrounding neighborhoods, including Salt River, Walmer Estate, University Estate and Observatory. Crime has decreased across all major categories, including contact crimes, sexual offenses, aggravated robbery, property crimes and other offenses, according to the latest stats from Q3, 2024.

Looking Ahead

“Despite a tough economic climate, rising costs and ongoing service delivery challenges, we’ve stayed focused on delivering high-quality services,” says Gene Lohrentz, Managing Director of Geocentric Urban Management. “The achievements in urban cleaning and continual focus on crime prevention in deploying ever more safety officers this year are a testament to this commitment. We’re eager to continue this momentum in 2025.”

Geocentric, a partner in managing CIDs for 15 years, proudly oversees 13 of the 54 City Improvement Districts (CIDs).

The WID Board and Geocentric management team are dedicated to innovative and effective approaches to service delivery, ensuring Woodstock remains a thriving, inclusive community for all.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in making Woodstock the exceptional community it is. Here’s to a safe, clean and prosperous 2025!

Winter Readiness, Wheelie Bin Safety and Woodstock Greening Initiative

May 21, 2024 May 21, 2024

As we head into the colder months, we’re preparing you with some winter readiness tips to keep both yourself and your property safe.

Additionally, we share some tips on keeping your wheelie bin safe so that you know it’ll always find its way back home, as well as some exciting news about a greening initiative being run in Woodstock.

And, we share some recent updates from our WID manager on their operational achievements in the CID.

Quarter 1 update from Woodstock Improvement District

March 28, 2024 March 28, 2024

It’s been full steam ahead launching into 2024 for the Woodstock Improvement District. As we look forward to the Easter break, we share our CID’s stats and achievements for the first quarter of the year.

Don’t forget to review the Draft National Business Licensing Policy before 31 March if you haven’t done so already. And, we remind you to stay safe on the roads over this busy holiday period.

Quarter 1 stats (watch)

Have Your Say on the Draft National Business Licensing Policy by 31 March

Since 1994, a substantial body of new laws has emerged from all levels of government to fulfil the mandate presented by the 1996 Constitution. The journey towards a constitutional, democratic order began with the adoption of the Constitution in 1996 and has continued with the enactment of new laws and the amendment and/or repeal of old laws.

Part of developing new legislation and even amending existing legislation is the development of a policy paper that will inform the policy thrust and direction of the proposed legislation. The Department has developed the draft National Business Licensing Policy, which will inform the review of the Businesses Act of 1991.

Members of the public are hereby invited to send comments to MMasoga@dsbd.gov.za or submit by hand at The DTI Campus, Department of Small Business Development, 77 Meintjies Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria, Block G Ground Floor within 30 (thirty) days of publication of this notice. This means that the comments period is from the 1st of March 2024 to the 31st of March 2024.

Access the draft national business licensing policy here.

We encourage you to provide your comments by completing this survey at the link.

Road Resurfacing for Woodstock & Salt River

The City of Cape Town has announced the commencement of road resurfacing works along Victoria Road and Albert Road in the Woodstock and Salt River areas.

The project began on 25 March, and completion is expected by the end of June this year, weather permitting.

Work will be conducted on weekdays and Sundays between 8:30am and 3:30pm, with occasional night shifts from 6:30pm to 5:30am.

Stay Safe this Holiday Season

It’s a busy time of year on the roads and we urge you to take extreme caution at this time. Check your vehicle before embarking on long trips, be sure to take necessary breaks as the driver, remain aware of other road users and never, ever drink and drive.

Wishing you all a happy Easter!

Woodstock Art Guide

February 9, 2024 February 21, 2024

February is Cape Town art month – with two major programme highlights being the Cape Town Art Fair from 16-18 February at the CTICC, and the International Public Art Festival from 14-18 February across the City Centre. To celebrate Woodstock’s place on the Cape Town art map, we have compiled our own guide of all the artist hot spots to be found in Woodstock and neighbouring Salt River.⁠

From art galleries and artist studios, to some of the best art stores, framing shops and art colleges in the city, Woodstock is one of the most notable art routes in Cape Town.⁠

Woodstock Art Galleries

Stevenson Gallery

Buchanan Building, 160 Sir Lowry Road

@stevenson_za

Arguably one of Cape Town’s most important galleries, representing regional artists on the international art scene such as Zanele Muholi, Penny Siopis, Guy Tillim, Zander Blom, Wim Botha and Pieter Hugo, Stevenson has galleries in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Amsterdam and participates in Art Basel, Frieze London, Paris Photo, Art Basel Miami Beach and of course, Cape Town Art Fair.

Art It Is Gallery

76 Albert Road, Woodstock

Art Is It is a vibrant addition to the contemporary art scene, providing a space that both showcases new talent and removes the feeling of intimidation when visiting a gallery to view art.

@artitisgallery

131a Gallery

131 Sir Lowry Road

One of Cape Town’s top young galleries of contemporary art in a small space that hosts excellent exhibitions of solo artists and group shows, 131a Gallery is run by the founder of Cape Town’s artsy Lake magazine, Brett Bellairs.

@131agallery

Woodstock Improvement District 2023 Roundup

December 6, 2023 January 18, 2024

It’s been another year of successes and tackling challenges head-on for the Woodstock Improvement District. As part of our renewed commitment to public safety and urban cleaning and management, we persist in leading the way toward the continuous improvement of Woodstock as a thriving residential and business hub.

Our team has increased their presence on the ground, resulting in improved statistics across the board for 2023. We’ve driven more kilometres in our patrol vehicles, engaged with more members of the public and attended to more service requests and urban defects than ever before. We’ll continue with this increased presence in the community in 2024 and the years beyond.

This year, with 51 CIDs now in operation in the City of Cape Town, the new CID by-law and policy has come into effect. Geocentric, who has now been working with city improvement district initiatives for more than 2 decades, is proud to be responsible for over 25% of the total CIDs in operation.

In addition to taking care of the public’s safety and urban cleaning, our CID placed a focus on greening areas across Woodstock in 2023. These urban beautification projects will be continued throughout 2024, in line with the goal of continuously upgrading our community.

2023 Woodstock Improvement District Stats

Woodstock Improvement District Stats 2023

Woodstock WID in review 2023 - urban cleaning and management

“Despite the challenges of a struggling economy, ongoing load shedding and higher fuel prices, the aim of the Woodstock Improvement District remained focussed on delivering top-up services to the public spaces of Woodstock throughout the year,” says Gene Lohrentz of Geocentric Urban Management, tasked with the delivery of the WID services.

The WID Board and Geocentric management team is committed to finding innovative, efficient and cost-effective ways to continue delivering on the vision for a safer, cleaner, well-maintained and vibrant Woodstock. We look forward to more opportunities to make a tangible difference in 2024.

Woodstock Improvement District Safety Tips

Safety Tips for the Holiday Season

As the festive season approaches, it is essential to prioritise safety at this time, as crime, accidents and fire hazards are usually on the rise during the holiday period.

Being mindful of potential risks and hazards can help safeguard you, your business and your property – from road safety considerations to vigilance against petty crimes in crowded business premises to more serious crimes such as hijacking and robbery.

Along with keeping your personal safety in mind, if you are a business owner, it is imperative to be vigilant and proactive in implementing strategies that protect your assets, property and staff during the busiest time of year.

Prevention is better than cure. That’s why we urge property and business owners to make every effort to prepare their properties, businesses, staff and themselves against opportunists and criminals with our safety tips below:

AGM 2023 Save the Date + spring cleaning & greening Woodstock

September 25, 2023 November 1, 2023

Come October, we hold our Annual General Meeting (AGM 2023) to review the year’s activities and begin our planning for 2024/25. This Spring, we have also undertaken several urban beautification projects, adding greenery and cleaning up public areas of Woodstock to improve the community experience of people living in, working in and visiting Woodstock.

SAVE THE DATE! Our AGM 2023 is coming up

All stakeholders are invited to a review of the year’s activities and planning for 2024/25.

Resolutions presented at the AGM can only be voted for by bonafide members. All non-members wishing to take part must be registered before 16 October.

AGM Details

Wednesday, 25 October 2023, 12:00
No 1 De Waal House, 172 Victoria Road, Woodstock
RSVP to info@wid.co.za

Spring cleaning and greening Woodstock

The Woodstock ID embarked on small urban beautification projects this year, which we hope to continue into the next year. The project initially started with the revamping of some of the old public benches in Victoria Road with the help of local businesses. As part of the ongoing project, the WID augmented these seating areas with large planter pots to bring some greenery to the area and will also add public cigarette bins in their vicinity to keep the area clean.

More potted plants were also placed along Victoria Road near the intersection of Mountain Road to create a barrier between pedestrians and vehicle traffic in the adjacent parking area.

Woodstock Improvement District 2022 roundup & safety tips for the holiday season

December 3, 2022 December 3, 2022

2022 has been a year for celebrating successes for Woodstock Improvement District and tackling new and ongoing challenges. With our new five-year business plan term commencing in July 2022 we renew our commitment to providing top-up services to the City of Cape Town with a special focus on public safety, urban cleaning and management, continuing to lead the charge in the continual improvement of Woodstock as a residential and business area.

As we round up 2022 following our recent AGM held in November, we recap on the year’s work, successes and statistics.

Woodstock Improvement District’s achievements of the last year are a testament to the team’s commitment, experience and increased on-the-ground presence – led by the capable hands of Geocentric, who have been working with city improvement district initiatives since 2001 and responsible for a total of thirteen of Cape Town’s improvement districts from Salt River through to Strand, Tyger Valley and Wynberg.

“The rollercoasting aftermath of Covid lockdowns steadily calmed down in 2022, yet conditions remained difficult as significant increases in the cost of living and the continuous challenges of load-shedding remained at the forefront,” says Gene Lohrentz, director of Geocentric.

“In the face of these new challenges, the WID board and management team have remained steadfast in our commitment to providing high-quality top-up services in Woodstock. Embracing and implementing adaptability into our vision now seems entrenched in our day-to-day operations as well as our strategic thinking.”

2022 Woodstock Improvement District stats

Request for Proposal – Woodstock Improvement District (WID) CCTV Extension Project

May 3, 2022 May 3, 2022

The Board of the WID has taken the initiative to extend the CCTV camera network of the WID. The proposed intervention will focus on supporting the current public safety and urban management activities thereby contributing to securing the area and driving incidents of crime down.

The project will focus on the implementation of additional Static and PTZ cameras.

The detailed Request for Proposal document can be found here.

How to Prepare Your Property for the Festive Season

December 2, 2021 February 23, 2022

After a challenging 2021, filled with great uncertainty and change globally, many of us are looking forward to wrapping things up for a well deserved holiday with family and friends. Ensuring that your property is secure and your business protected is the best Christmas gift you can give yourself and will give you the peace of mind that will allow you to relax and recuperate.

Here are our top security tips to keep your property safe so you can enjoy the merry season:

Year-end update 2021 – 5-year term extension for WID & 2021 stats

November 23, 2021 February 23, 2022

Good news for Woodstock and the Woodstock Improvement District. The recent AGM, held on 3 November 2021 at the WID offices, has seen the approval of the new 5-year term extension of the Woodstock Improvement District from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2027.

Providing top-up cleaning and security services to one of Cape Town’s oldest residential and business nodes since May 2005, the Woodstock Improvement District has been under new management since September 2020. Led by Geocentric, who have been working with city improvement district initiatives since 2001 and responsible for a total of eleven of Cape Town’s improvement districts including WID and the nearby Salt River, Maitland and Wynberg, the WID’s successes of the last year are a tribute to this team’s experience and increased on-the-ground presence with more security personnel than ever before.

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