Dumped heaps of soil a concern in Allen’s Nek

An Allen’s Nek resident has come out all guns blazing to criticise a construction company working on the side of Jim Fouché and Hendrik Potgieter roads for offloading heaps of soil close to his property.

The angry property owner, Dr Johan Swanepoel, raised his concerns about the pile of sand dumped adjacent to his Sandeer Avenue home.

“My concerns are – there is no indication that the soil will be removed again as it is currently being flattened with a front-end loader, and it is done by multiple truckloads every day. The heap is currently more than a metre high and they are still adding to it,” he complained.

Swanepoel further raised safety concerns about the issue. He added, “The soil is literally barely two metres away from my fence. This has major safety risks as it makes access to my yard so much easier. It also provides for an easy line of sight into what’s happening on my property.”

He also questioned the company if it followed the correct procedure to use the land as that area is subject to a servitude.

“Is this dumping authorised? If so, what are the rules that should be adhered to as far as the quantity of soil is concerned; how must it be processed, and what are the limitations as far as existing properties are concerned,” he asked.

Hoyer Construction is the company that has been assigned to upgrade the roads leading to the construction site on Jim Fouché Road.

In an interview with Roodepoort Northsider, the company’s foreman, Lee van Heerden, said the use of that land was temporary and the soil would be removed after the end of construction.

“We are still busy with construction at the moment. And, hopefully, we will be done in September and the soil will be moved to another area for landscaping,” he said.

Van Heerden also criticised Swanepoel for not visiting the site to seek answers like other complainants in the area did.

“People must stop complaining, and they must come to the site to ask what’s going on. We’ve had complaints from motorists about soil obstructing traffic and we dealt with that issue immediately,” he added.

Van Heerden further said that he is always on site, and is willing to assist anyone with an issue.

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