Ferndale pub makes a noisy neighbour
FERNDALE – Loud music from a pub, especially over weekends, disturbs neighbours
Scores of residents who live close to the Fiesta Pub and Grill can no longer endure the level of noise allegedly coming from this pub.
Residents along West and Long avenues and Oxford Street in Ferndale say they have been enduring this noise pollution for the past two years. This plight allegedly began in 2014 and persists to date. A resident, who doesn’t want to be named for fear of victimisation, said the problem was escalating out of control.
“We have established that this place is a tavern. It is open seven days a week. From Mondays to Wednesdays it’s not too bad, but from Thursday until Monday morning it’s dreadful,” she said.
She complained that the pub initially opened as a Portuguese takeaway and within a short period of time it became a nightclub. “I cannot sit in my garden anymore; I cannot hear the TV on the weekends unless I turn it up. There are flats across the road above the shops and I do not understand how these people cope,” she said. Another resident complained that the noise was ongoing during the December holidays. “They were playing loud music nonstop over the Christmas holidays,” she said.
Some of the residents alleged that the problem was spreading over to West and Long avenues. Intoxicated people coming out of the pub were allegedly loitering around the streets during the early hours. “This is affecting the neighbourhood so badly. Some people have moved to avoid the noise,” she said.
The City of Johannesburg Environmental Health Directorate in Region B recently conducted an inspection at the pub. The City’s spokesperson, Nkosinathi Nkabinde said the pub manager acknowledged that they do play loud music, mostly over the weekend. However, he said he was not aware that it was affecting anyone.
“The owner was served a statutory notice, prohibiting them [from causing] any further noise disturbance. They were also furnished with all the relevant information and requirements that they need to follow to operate an entertainment area and also advised to soundproof the premises,” he said.
He explained that the manager was served with the statutory notice to ensure the remedial actions were taken accordingly. “The City’s environmental health practitioners will monitor the premises on a regular basis to ensure compliance,” he concluded.
For the past two weeks, attempts to contact the pub manager for comment have been unsuccessful.
Details: City of Johannesburg 011 681 8060.
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