As more and more developments spring up in many parts of the country, due to the influx of people moving around looking for better work opportunities or better living conditions, disruptions due to more traffic on the roads, noise, etc, in these developing areas are inevitable.
There has also been a marked increase in movement of those living in rural areas and townships or other former segregated areas (in terms of the former group areas act), to suburbs where only whites were allowed to live during the apartheid area. Hence the need for more schools, places of worship for the various religious groupings and recreational facilities also increases in these suburbs. The area of Raslouw is just one example of how fast developments are taking place in this once quiet suburb which was initially more of an agricultural holding. Over the past few years, the landscape of Raslouw has changed completely. There are several new housing and commercial developments in the area, with the corner of Lochner Street and the R55, which a few years back was only barren land covered with grass, now regarded as prime property, with a filling station, hospital and a small shopping complex on the respective corners. Raslouw has also recently seen the new development of sporting facilities, with at least two padel courts in the area, an additional wedding venue, religious places, a school, a restaurant and a roadhouse, with traffic in and out of Raslouw now becoming a nightmare. While some residents have welcomed the new developments which provide a service to those living in the area, others have complained mainly because of the noise and increase in traffic, with some even complaining that the electricity and water infrastructure in the area is being hampered because of the new developments. Others such as neighbours of the developments have, in addition, specific complaints. This follows a complaint made to the Laudium Sun by a Raslouw family who claims that their once peaceful home has been turned into a nightmare since the opening of the Golden Point Padel Club on the corner of Baard Road and Poole Avenue, in June last year, claiming that the facility has brought noise, a foul smell and even ruined their garden. Nasrin Vally, who has been a resident of Raslouw for the past 14 years and who lives next to the Padel club on Poole Ave, arrived at the Laudium Sun offices recently to raise her concerns. She said that she, her husband and children had lived peacefully in Raslouw, until the Padel club started operating and is now fed up with the situation, adding, “The noise from the Padel club and the club’s restaurant, along with the stench from its septic tank, has made life unbearable. The stench coming from that place is terrible, and it’s not healthy for us. I have a child with a medical condition, and I’m really worried about what this is doing to his health. Furthermore my son is in Matric this year and I fear that the constant noise will disrupt his studies. My son needs peace and quiet to focus on his studies. This is a critical year for him and instead, we have loud music and noise coming from the Padel club at all hours,” she complained. But the frustrations don’t end there, as Nasrin, a teacher at CIS added, “The owners of the property of the club put up an ugly eyesore plastic type of plate on our common shared wall without permission.
This ugly looking plastic on our wall is messing up my garden. I’ve worked so hard to keep our garden neat, and now it looks terrible. We have reported these complaints to the Metro Police and to our local Councillor of the Ward, but clearly our concerns have fallen on deaf ears, because the noise continues and the bad stench is still there. We’ve complained so many times, and the Councillor knows about these complaints, because the last time I complained she went to the club instead of coming to our side to smell the stench herself. It’s not right. We’ve been living here for years, and suddenly, we have to deal with all of this. We just want peace in our own home,” Nasrin concluded.
The Laudium Sun then went to the Padel Club and spoke to the manager, Anthony Chetty, concerning the complaints alleged by Nasrin. Anthony who showed the reporters the septic tanks and the plastic sheeting which formed part of Nasrin’s complaints said, “The complaints of the noise and stench are exaggerated and unfair. This premises operates within legal limits, and no health or environmental regulations are being violated.
limits and no health regulations are being violated.
We have proper waste management systems in place. The complaint about bad smells from a septic tank is not valid as we maintain our facilities regularly. Concerning the plastic sheeting on the boundary wall, it was done for privacy, it was not done to upset anyone, especially our neighbour. We’re always open to working with our neighbors to solve any concerns, but we can’t address issues if people aren’t willing to talk to us directly,” Anthony said, promising that the owner of the property, Mariam Cassim who was not present at the time, would call the Laudium Sun to expand on his response. Soon thereafter, Mariam called and a meeting was arranged with the reporters. Mariam denied the allegations made against the facilities on her property and said, “Our premises operates responsibly and within the law. We’ve had almost all the necessary inspections, and the premises passed every test. When it comes to noise, I’ve done a noise study and it passed everything. Our noise levels are manageable, and we don’t sell alcohol at the premises. In fact while the zoning time allows operations from 5am to 11pm, our club voluntarily closes earlier. We open at 5am and close at 10pm to be considerate to our neighbours and the community at large. Concerning the smell from the septic tank I want to clarify that the system has been approved by the City Council and operates efficiently. Our grey water system has four tanks with four chambers, each designed with bacteria that kill the waste. Every three months, a company specializing in odor management comes to empty and maintain the tanks. There is no health hazard,” she explained. Mariam further explained on the issue of the plastic sheet placed on the boundary wall of her neighbour Nasrin. “It was installed to address lighting concerns. The plastic sheet was put up to block the lights in our yard that may possibly disturb the neighbours. So out of concern for our neighbours, until the trees we planted have grown tall enough to block the lights, we will then remove the plastic, that I can assure you.” Mariam concluded by saying, “I want to highlight that the purpose of the club, which we opened last year on June 27, is to bring the community together. The goal of the club is community upliftment. We are here to create a safe, healthy space for sports and socializing. I want to conclude by stressing that I am open to dialogue. I’m willing to work towards a solution with the neighbors. I want to make sure we can coexist peacefully. If anyone has further complaints feel free to contact us, as we want to work with the community and not against the community.”
A nearby neighbour, Christ Coede, said, “Every Sunday, the constant sound of car hooters from the area around the Club and ‘Glass House’ becomes quite disruptive. It’s particularly challenging when I’m trying to enjoy a peaceful day at home. The noise not only interrupts my relaxation but also affects my family’s comfort. I hope that the parking problem in the area can be sorted out so that all people attending, can park their cars inside the respective premises.
