Ekurhuleni metro encourages tavern owners to comply with the city’s policies and bylaws
The City encourages tavern owners to visit their nearest customer care centre for more information.
In ensuring an orderly built environment and compliance of land uses in communities, The City of Ekurhuleni is calling on tavern owners to adhere to the city’s policies and by-laws.
Taverns are governed in terms of the Town Planning Scheme 2021, Spatial Planning Land Use Management Bylaw 2019 and the National Building Regulations and Building Standard Act 103 of 1977 as amended, Gauteng Liquor Act, (Act 2 of 2003) among other legislative requirements.
The city has discovered land uses not approved through the city’s processes give rise to challenges of inability to monitor security, mushrooming of illegal land use activities in wrong places, structural safety of buildings compromising the safety of patrons and neighbours, noise pollution and the unauthorised use of municipal services.
This has an impact on infrastructure maintenance and costs.
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In ensuring a common understanding, a tavern is defined as a part of a dwelling house or a shipping container used for the sale of liquor for the purpose of on-site consumption, as determined in the Gauteng Liquor Act, (Act 2 of 2003).
It may also prepare and sell food and provide entertainment to patrons – subject to the health and safety regulations of the municipality. The tavern shall remain ancillary to the main residential use.
That tavern applications may be considered to operate where the residential or business property has rights and the building plan is in compliance with building regulations.
It is illegal for property owners to commence with the operation of selling liquor and entertain patrons from a property that has no land use rights and parking as stipulated by the city’s policies.
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Fire safety (escape routes, emergency signage) and number of ablution facilities (health) are also key in approving applications for taverns.
The city encourages tavern owners to visit their nearest customer care centre to engage officials in the town planning and building control department for more information on how to regularise existing taverns and apply for new taverns.
Such applications will be considered for approval based on compliance with policies. Applications must be prepared by a valid town planner and where building plans are required and plans drawn by a registered architect.
Inspectors will continue to monitor compliance throughout the city and issue contravention notices where land uses are not in line with the city’s policies and by-laws.
