George Lea Park is still ‘a dump site and home to vagrants’
PARKMORE - The state of the George Lea Park North in Parkmore continues to get worse by the day.
This according to deputy chairperson of the Parkmore Community Association, Kate Wardle, who said she has been trying to get the Environmental Health Department, Pikitup, Johannesburg Property Company as well as all stakeholders involved in matters of the park to do something about the bad condition the park is in.
“George Lea Park is disgusting at the moment,” she said.
“There is literally a rubbish mountain there, it is at insane levels.”
Ashley Francis, secretary of the Sandton Sports Club, said even though the Johannesburg Property Company is responsible for the park, the sports club is concerned and working with the company about how the park should be looked after.
“We’re hoping to one day take over the park,” added Francis.
Chantal Janneker, marketing and communications manager at the Johannesburg Property Company said discussions have been taking place between the company, the Environmental Planning Department and Pikitup in order to formulate a plan that would incorporate the informal waste sorters into the Pikitup Recycling Programme.
“Pikitup wants to put a recycling centre at the park and I can’t see residents wanting that,” said Wardle.
Janneker said all parties involved are hoping to reach consensus in identifying the appropriate site together with all stakeholders concerned, including the community, so as to formalise the waste sorters’ operations through the recycling programme.
Wardle explained that her biggest concerns about the park included a mountainous rubbish dump that has been accumulated by informal recyclers operating in the area, as well as the illegal residents living along the wetland area of the park. “We cannot continue like this without action from the City,” said Wardle.
“There are no toilets or washing facilities and the vagrants are consequently using the Braamfontein Spruit for this purpose,” she added.
“To keep warm, rubbish and plastic is burnt. There has been a consequent rise in crime in Parkmore, as well as daily complaints from residents about the smell and the smoke.”
Janneker said the company is waiting to receive a revised proposal in identifying the ideal site for the establishment of the recycling centre.
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