Anyone for tennis?
HIGHLANDS NORTH - An informal settlement is on the rise at an abandoned tennis court around the Hilson Park Bowling and Cricket Clubs in Highlands North.
An informal settlement is on the rise at an abandoned tennis court near the Hilson Park Bowling and Cricket Club in Highlands North.
Squatters have moved into the old tennis clubhouse which has been left vacant for some time. The informal settlers have also erected structures made of plastic and other waste materials on the tennis court, which has above-the-waist weeds growing on it.
Chairman of the Hilson Park Cricket Club, Shaun van Niekerk said he was aware of the squatters and said they did not pose much of a problem for the club. He said the squatters were going about with their own business, however he noted that if the settlement were to grow in population, it could potentially become a problem.
Ward 74 Councillor Jack Cooper visited the area and said the squatters may had been scared off because he didn’t see any of their structures. The doors to the clubhouse had been locked. He added that although he had not received any complaints from residents, Johannesburg Property was in charge of the land. “They told me it was going to be sold on tender but didn’t provide much detail. The property has deteriorated,” he added.
