Pub in Wright Park investigated

Allegedly the owner plays unbelievably loud music which starts at approximately 2pm on a Friday and continues until the early hours of the morning.

“This practice usually continues all weekend, ending on Monday morning, on occasions at 3.45am, not to mention the drunken shouting, screeching of tyres and revving of engines,” says concerned resident, Pam Bubb.

She also says that the offender has been handed the by-laws pertaining to noise pollution and that the police have been called out on several occasions, without any response.

Since then there has been several more phone calls to the police as well as letters to the Department of Environmental Affairs. 

Bubb was then referred to the Springs Environmental Department where she phoned and, allegedly, the phone was picked up once after several times of calling and, upon hearing what it was about, simply hung up the phone.

These residents of Wright Park have been trying for nearly a year to get a solution to this problem but, thus far, have had no help from the police nor the municipality regarding this matter, even after signing a petition.

Residents say that municipal staff are aware of this matter, but simply write it off.

The Addie sent inquiries to Ekurhuleni and the matter was investigated.

Chief Superintendent of the EMPD, Wilfred Kgasago, responded to the complaints by saying that EMPD Specialized Services (By-Law Unit) investigated the complaint and found that the pub, Silver Lakes, is legitimate and that it had been in operation for over a period of two years.

Kgasago also says that bordering on the pub is a park, which the owner has fenced of unlawfully and he was instructed to remove the wooden fencing as this park does not form part of his business area,

The owner was made to play the music at full blast and the commander stood a few meters away to check the noise levels.

He also said that, after gauging the noise levels without any authentic gadgets, the conclusion was made that the noise levels were not as claimed to be, but that the EMPD will visit the place at night to reassess the noise levels at that time to compare both day and night observations.

“In the event the noise persists and the complaints keep pouring in, the non-compliance will be viewed in a very serious light with the resultant more stringent action being taken against the pub owner,” says Kgasago.

“The Health Department’s assistance will be sought in order to accurately measure the amount of decibels emitted with a view to checking the acceptable or non-acceptable levels of noise.”

The Addie also went to talk to the manager of Silver Lakes Pub.

He was kind enough to take the Addie journalist through the surprisingly classy pub and recounted the events of Ekurhuleni’s inspection of his pub.

He said that the noise levels are not as some of the residents claim it to be and he was given the go-ahead by the Metro. 

The pub is visited by many locals in the area and also hosts events.
According to the manager of Silver Lakes, the Community Policing Forum (CPF) sometimes hold their community meetings there as it is very civilized.

Ekurhuleni phoned the manager last Monday and said that they have done regular investigations of the pub at night over two weekends without the knowledge of the owner and said everything was in order as they have not seen or heard anything like the residents claim and that there were no problems.

He responded to the complaints of the noise outside by saying that the revving of cars when they leave the pub is out of his hands as he cannot control that situation

He is in the process of obtaining documents for the use of the ground he has sectioned off with wooden fencing as that area is used for picnics and so forth.

He also said that when the pub closes at 2am, he and his staff make the effort to clean up all the bottles lying around outside and in the streets.

He has also hired someone to sweep and clean up outside four times a week.

The manager also makes an effort to make his property look pleasant by planting trees and keeping it tidy.