BCM dragging its feet

I NOTE with interest how many small operators are prevented from trading on ground zoned for a different purpose.

We as a group of neighbours have over many years complained to BCM of a towing company operating on agricultural land ±7ha for more than 30 years. They recently backfilled a platform to increase vehicle storage space ±1.5ha. Full site street frontage of this property is now been used for business purposes.

Very noisy 24 hours a day, roads cannot take these massive trucks, oil pollution in our dams as they grade the road to discharge onto farmland and not over the recently built platform, which was the natural flow of rain water down the road. Action taken by BCM: 1) 24 April 1994 correspondence from city of East London advising that ‘application for departure from agriculture to business’ was turned down and council’s attorneys in process of obtaining a Supreme Court interdict.

2) 2 February 1995 BCM advised attorney’s actively dealing with matter asked to be patient. (we complied)

3) 3 October 2014 BCM held inspection instructing the towing company to cease all illegal operations within 30 days.

4) 26 March 2015 spatial planning and development informing acting municipal manager to take action in bringing about compliance with regulations pertaining to the property.

To date no action has been taken against this massive company which is paying agricultural rates and taxes, to the best of my knowledge there is plenty of industrial land available for this business to trade legally from.

My question is why has this business been allowed to trade illegally for more than 30 years and recent complainants attended to before this one of 1994. I would be pleased to hear if any other rates and taxpayers have had the same experience. The can of worms has indeed been opened, we need the views of all concerned. — Deon Cloete, via e-mail