The City of Ekurhuleni has approved a rezoning application to allow for residential development within the Bedford Gardens office tower.

The site occupies the entire block bordered by Smith Road, Kirkby Road, Regent Street and Bradford Road.The property has been zoned as Business 1, subject to specific conditions.

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The applicant proposed on April 10 that the site be rezoned to Business 1, subject to existing conditions, including a requirement for 464 dwelling units and residential buildings.

“The intention is to develop 464 dwelling units or residential buildings within the existing office tower,” stated the applicant.

Bedford Gardens resident Erica Turner raised concerns about the development.

She noted that the offices in the tower had remained largely vacant over the years, as more people began working from home.

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She also recalled how construction at the adjacent Bedford Square development had caused noise problems for residents, prompting her to request that the developers be issued with a noise violation.

Turner said their Regent Street property, built in 1975, lacks double-glazed windows and is therefore ill-equipped to withstand the noise from nearby construction.

She also expressed concern about potential noise from future occupants. “We don’t want any sort of wild parties in any of the units around here, as it interferes with our rights,” she said.

“These proposed living units lead one to wonder about traffic increases in Regent Street, which is already dysfunctional,” Turner added.

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City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said on August 17 that the Roads and Stormwater Department had accepted a completed traffic impact study. “The issue of traffic was addressed in the traffic impact study.

“Parking will be addressed at the site development plan stage, which the applicant still needs to complete as per the rezoning approval.”

Dlamini urged the concerned resident to visit the City of Ekurhuleni offices for further assistance, noting that several conditions were imposed as part of the approval.