Residents want bikers, 4x4s out of Sandpan

Residents of the northern and eastern sides of Sandpan, including Country View and Boat Lake Village, have raised their grievances about the apparent excessive motorbike noise which can be heard in the area, mostly on weekends.

The vacant property, which has an unused quarry, is used as a racetrack by adventurous motorbikers and 4×4 enthusiasts.

Sandpan is situated between Vlei and Boundary roads.

One of the affected residents, Peter Glendining, said the noise that is caused by motorbikes and picnickers who usually visit the undeveloped property has become a nuisance.

“All of these activities generate an unacceptable noise and dust pollution for residents. To try and send a message to them, prohibition signs have been put up but these have not only been ignored but vandalised or destroyed.”

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Glendining said security guards have also been appointed by the owners of the stands to instruct and advise visitors they are on private property and are trespassing, but this too has been ignored.

He added that security guards have been told they have no right to chase them away as it is municipal land.

“Due to the sensitive nature of the environment, which is a wetland, we are concerned that these activities will cause harm to nature,” he said.

Glendining said the affected owners are in the process of arranging for the area to be policed and the outcome for those who refuse to co-operate could be arrest, prosecution and even the confiscation of assets.

Meanwhile, another affected resident of Country View, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the issue has been ongoing for a few years with less action from the authorities.

“We have once called on members of the EMPD who engaged with the bikers, but once they left the property they returned to their usual day-to-day activities.

“This issue has affected us badly because we are subjected to noise from morning till evening on Saturday and Sunday. Lately, we have noticed the people even during the week,” said the anonymous source.

He added that concerned members have also approached the visitors, but that allegedly led to physical altercations from the group.

“We have resorted to taking legal action against the people because all of our actions have proved unfruitful,” he said.

In 2019, the City Times was made aware by the metro that Sandpan is owned by the metro and several private owners.

The former metro spokesperson, Themba Gadebe, said because Sandpan is a water resource, the custodian is the National Department of Water and Sanitation, meaning activities that are undertaken on the water resource are regulated in terms of the National Water Act No 36 of 1998. The metro confirmed the area is registered as an urban conservancy (GCA033).

Jane Trembath, chairperson of Korsman Conservancy said: ” Noise and disturbance chases away birds. Litter from picnickers can blow into the pan. The motorbikes degrade the vegetation because they damage plant life and disturb the soil which then gets overtaken by weeds. The indigenous grassland gets replaced with invasive alien plants from the disturbance.”

The City Times has sought comment from the EMPD, but none was received at the time of publication.

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