RESIDENTS whose properties neighboured the container park in Umbilo breathed a collective sigh of relief when the tenant, who was allegedly operating illegally from the premises, moved the containers out last week after being served notice by the city.
According to ward councillor Nicole Graham, the municipality will be monitoring the site.
“The challenge is to ensure that a similar business doesn’t move in. I hope this will give the residents peace and quiet for a while,” she said.
Residents living in homes in Lincoln and Suffolk Roads raised concerns about the illegal operation in January, complaining of loss of sleep at night because of the ongoing activities at the park which had been operating since March 2015.
Residents said the loading of containers went on until late, and a spotlight on the site shone right into their bedrooms. Another issue was the fact that when the containers were delivered, vehicles blocked the road.
The matter was reported to Graham in December last year, and in April, the municipality met with the attorneys representing the owner. They served eviction papers on the tenant. The Municipality’s Land Use Management team also served notice on the tenant.
A resident told Berea Mail this week that the guard on site in the container depot office had informed him that the containers were being shipped out and that the tenants would be off the property by 15 May.
