Pretoria pub noise ‘nuisance’ irks residents

Residents in the Pretoria suburb of Moot are fed up with the noise from a nearby pub and have started a petition detailing their complaints, Pretoria Moot Rekord reports.

The residents claimed that the pub, Route 33 in 33rd Avenue, was driving them up the wall with “unbearable” noise and disturbances. They said the business was illegal, with the proper permits not being in place.

However, club management and owner of the property, denied this, saying that everything was in place and that the business was legal.

They further added that if everything were not in place, “they would not be open or allowed to operate”.

“We cannot take the noise anymore,” said resident Ewoud van Jaarsveld.

“Some of us have children and the noises keep us up until the early hours of the morning.”

Another resident, Manie van Heerden, said that pub patrons caused disturbances outside the premises.

“They are very loud and rev their vehicles in the parking lot when they leave the pub – this is usually during the early hours of the morning,” he said.

Pub owner Sanzi Coetzer told Rekord that her sound was kept at appropriate, prescribed levels.

“One thing that I did not know was that the sound had to be under 45 decibel (sic) after 10pm, but the metro explained this to me during their inspection,” she said.

She said that she had even acquired a decibel meter to make sure that the noise was kept at an acceptable level.

“After an inspection by the Tshwane metro it was discovered that as soon as the doors of the pub were opened, the noise went higher than prescribed,” she said.

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“We are now in the process to apply for the proper zoning to be able to add double soundproof doors at the pub so that we can avoid this.”

Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo told Rekord that the metro’s environmental health unit – noise control team – carried out an investigation into the complaints in November last year.

This was in order to determine the prevailing ambient noise levels in the vicinity of Route 33.

“The investigation was in accordance with the 1999 Gauteng noise regulations as promulgated under the environmental conservation act about the measurement and rating of environmental noise in relation to annoyance and speech communication,” Mashigo said.

“This should also be reflected on the building plan for approval by municipal health services.”

He said the owner was further instructed to play the music as low as possible until the premises were soundproofed.

“Alternatively the owner has to look for new premises that comply with all the municipal by-laws,” he said.

Coetzer said that she had not yet appointed an acoustic consultant.

“I wanted to arrange for another inspection from the metro, especially after I did not know about the decibel reading after 10pm,” she said.

“I want to show them that I have everything in place before I appoint the acoustic consultant.”

Coetzer said she would start arranging for another inspection this week.

On the complaints that the pub operated without a permit, Coetzer said that her documents were in order.

Rekord visited the premises two weeks ago.

The owner of the property where the club rents, Jansen van Rensburg, claimed that local councillor Frans Smith had threatened him with closure.

He claimed Smith was biased.

Smith denied this, saying that he merely assisted residents to follow proper complaints procedure.

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