WATCH: Brentwood Park infrastructure under strain from ongoing development

Ward councillor calls for investigation into the allocation of funds to institute infrastructure upgrades.

February 23, 2023

Jani de Beer 2 minutes read

Littered with potholes, Auret Street has nine developments yet it seems funds have not been allocated to upgrade roads to accommodate the increased traffic volumes.

As one of the first residents of Brentwood Park in 1983, Ward 23 Clr André du Plessis has watched with dismay as the suburb’s infrastructure buckles under the pressure of rapid development.

Echoing his sentiments, another resident Lee Roelofse said that despite the increase of residences within the suburb nothing is being done to upgrade municipal infrastructure to accommodate the increased number of residents now living in newly developed complexes.

“The original suburb only had about 200 houses, but over the past 25 years there has been a boom in complex developments,” said Roelofse.

“Auret Road is a prime example with nine developments being established, yet the road is riddled with potholes offering no traffic calming measures to allow the staggering amount of vehicles to easily access High Road.

“As residents, we also have to deal with daily water interruptions with water pipes continuously bursting. I suspect the infrastructure was not upgraded to withstand the increased demand.”

Having worked on a municipal level before making himself available as a ward councillor, Du Plessis feels that the lack of proper planning from the Ekurhuleni metro is putting the area at risk of suffering extensive infrastructure damage.

“As a ward councillor I am obliged to support any developmental applications, however, in my submitted motivation it is stipulated that no development may be undertaken unless the necessary infrastructure upgrades are completed,” he said.

“This includes water, electricity, sewage as well as roads.”

According to Zweli Dlamini, spokesperson for the metro, several factors need to be taken into account and developers need to adhere to strict conditions before being approved by the council’s planning department.

“From a roads and stormwater point of view, a traffic impact study is required if the development will generate more than 50 additional vehicular trips in the peak traffic hour,” he said.

“A stormwater management plan must be submitted and as of June 30, 2009, bulk roads and stormwater services contributions are calculated, which the developer has to pay to the city’s bulk services.”

Dlamini said that service contributions form part of the metro’s overall income and budget but are not ring-fenced for a particular area.

“These calculated fees are treated as a general income and are not utilised for specific projects or upgrades within specific areas,” said Dlamini.

“In the case of Brentwood Park, bulk contributions received from some of the developments in Auret Road were allocated from the approved budget for the construction of an outlet pipe under Great North Road and an outfall stormwater pipe on the western side.

“Two traffic signals were also implemented.”

With concern mounting, Du Plessis is in the process of having the allocation of funds for the upgraded infrastructure in the area investigated.

“These funds should be utilised for upgrades across all spheres of infrastructure,” said Du Plessis.

“As more applications for developments are being received, I urge the community to become more vocal in opposing it, until full-scale upgrades are undertaken to sustain the suburb in its entirety.”