New ablutions for Lacey Road residents

RESIDENTS of the Lacey Road Informal Settlement in Sydenham had reason to celebrate this week after new ablution facilities were finally opened at the site. Last year, the poor state of the old ablution block was criticised by ward councillor Chris Pappas who said the facility posed a health risk to residents.

This week, a pleased Pappas thanked the department of Water and Sanitation for erecting the new facilities at the weekend. He said department officials had acknowledged, during a site visit, that the old toilets were dilapidated.

“The department will have to look at the number of houses on the site and evaluate as each toilet will have to serve around 50 to 75 households. There needs to be ablution facilities for all residents, but these units cost around R2 million,” he said.

The ablution block is not the only issue that Pappas hopes to clear up on the site. According to the councillor, during the construction of the new toilet facilities, the ground in the servitude near Randles Road had become waterlogged. He said the ground needed to be levelled to allow ambulances and taxis to access the settlement.

“Last year I had to bring my vehicle in to get a lady in a wheelchair to Social Services. I am hoping it will be tarred, but the budget needs to be allocated for this,” he said.

He would also look at sorting out a vegetable garden which was initiated by former ward councillor Jethro Lefevre, and had plans to clean up an overgrown section of the land where people were sleeping and setting out cardboard to sell.

“We want to see what we can do with this land, perhaps put in jungle gyms or a soccer field,” he said.

Pappas said one of the biggest challenges at the settlement, besides the fact that it was built on private property, was that is was very waterlogged and water flowed between the houses forming channels. He said he had approached the Department of Roads and Stormwater at the end of last year and requested they build a pathway through the settlement, however, this would be difficult as the settlement stretched across multiple private properties.

“I want to get some of the stand pipes closed as the water causes a marsh around the pipes. There is a tap facility at the new toilets, so these can now be used. I have contacted the Health Department regarding the standing water around the pipes and will try work on a new drainage system. There is little chance houses will be available for residents in the near future, but I am trying to do as much as I can,” he said.