Residents had an ear-full of noisy bar
Owner denies claims of late-night noise, drag-racing
AFTER four years of complaints about noise from Rhythm Bar in East London, residents say it has become even louder.
The local watering hole in Amalinda Main Road has been causing havoc and sleepless nights for neighbours.
Despite attempts to straighten out the problem, residents say owner Jason Ionnides has turned them away.
Last year, residents pulled together and reported the grievances to Buffalo City Metro, which conducted a site visit in November and found that Rhythm Bar did not comply with the Business Zone 1 development regulations.
BCM found fault with structures that did not comply with the approved business plans, there was insufficient onsite parking and the establishment was not approved for a place of entertainment.
BCM gave Ionnides 30 days to comply, and handed their findings over to the metro’s legal department.
BCM spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya could not say when they handed Ionnides over, but said it was after all processes had been exhausted.
“It is to be noted that despite numerous meetings and undertakings from the owner, no application for council’s special consent to operate a place of entertainment has been received, hence the reason why we have involved the council’s legislative arm,” he said.
“With regards to the noise and other disturbances, our law-enforcement unit responds to all complaints and is dealing with them in the same manner we handle all such establishments,” Ngwenya said.
The Dispatch earlier reported that Rhythm Bar patrons were causing havoc in residential roads.
Resident Errol Goddard said drunk bar patrons had been doing wheelspins and drag-racing their cars outside the bar in the rain on Thursday night.
Music blared all night, but the volume was cranked up after midnight.
There were claims of loud music playing at unreasonable hours and drag-racing in the early hours of the mornings too. Ionnides dismissed the claims. Goddard, whose boundary wall borders the establishment and who has lived there for 22 years, said he had accepted an offer on his home.
“After the [Dispatch] article was published, for two weeks we could hear one another speaking after 9pm again for the first time in years.
“It was beautiful, it almost felt normal but soon thereafter the music started again, the drag-racing and reckless driving was back,” Goddard said.
In a previous report in April, Ionnides said: “I am 100% willing to speak to the neighbours and come to some sort of compromise.”
But yesterday, Ionnides refused to speak to Saturday Dispatch. He sent his bartender with the message that he was “too busy to meet with you”.
Goddard said: “I have been there twice to see Jason and he wouldn’t meet with me. His bouncers say he is busy.
“We as neighbours respect each other. I have a welding business but at 5pm I stop. It is as if they [Rhythm Bar] doubled their music level now.
“Things got worse after that article was published,” he said.
Thirty-seven residents signed the second of two petitions.
Engen petrol station manager Fezisa Mhlope said: “Things are still the same if not worse now.
“They are drag-racing down the road, demanding we open our parking bays for them and the bouncers have harassed our petrol attendants over parking. It would a big relief for the neighbourhood if this place would just close down,” she said. — oreillya@tisoblackstar.co.za