Container park operation to shut down

THE municipality is making progress in closing down the container park operating in Umbilo.

Residents living in Lantern Heath and in homes in Lincoln and Suffolk Roads spoke to Berea Mail about the issue in January. They complained of loss of sleep at night because of the ongoing activities at trhe park which had been operating since March 2015.

According to residents, no permission was granted for the Umbilo Container Park to open, and there was allegedly no licence to operate.

Residents said the loading of containers went on until late, and a spotlight on the site shone right into their bedrooms. Another issue was the fact that when the containers were delivered, vehicles blocked the road.

Last week, a resident complained to Berea Mail that loose gravel and stones were now lying on the road outside the property’s gates, and one had cracked his windscreen as he drove past.

In December, councillor Nicole Graham said she reported the matter to a number of departments, including Health, Business Licensing, Land Use Management and Metro Police, and it was found that the site was zoned incorrectly for the current use.

Speaking to Berea Mail this week, Graham said the municipality had met with the attorneys representing the owner, and they had also served papers on the tenant to evict the premises. The municipality’s land use section was also to serve a notice on the tenant, and with regards to the enforcing of the excessive noise bylaw, the municipality had contacted a department to assist in enforcement.