Have your say before July 11th 2025 on the proposed major township development (Victory Park Ext 36) and rezoning application for Erven Portions 246 and 247 of the Farm Braamfontein 53-IR, currently zoned as “Public Open Space.”

A very large retail development (25 000m2), a builder’s yard, 204 residential units in 4 blocks of up to 5-storey low cost housing, around 900 parking bays, a drive through and taxi rank on Victory Road are planned for the old Parkhurst Bowls and Football Club site and surrounding spruit area between Victory and Rustenburg roads. We believe the application has not demonstrated the need, reasonableness, desirability, and public interest for the proposed development, nor comply with the City’s own spatial planning policies.

This development deviates from established City of Johannesburg policies and presents numerous incompatibilities with the existing urban fabric. This application also constitutes an “alienation of public/council land for development.” Irrevocably and intensively developing this public open space for commercial gain is not environmentally sustainable or socially responsible, especially as the city densifies and open space becomes more critical for physical, mental and social well-being.

The community organisations collaborating on the call for objections by residents are Parkhurst Residents and Business Owners Association, Greenside Residents Association, Craigpark Residents Association, Victory Park South Residents Association, Melville Residents Association, Parkview Residents Association, Linden Residents Association and Emmarentia Residents Association. In addition our concerns and desire to protect and improve our city are supported by the work of the JoburgCAN.

We are not opposed to any and all development – just reckless development. Nowhere do we oppose the affordable housing component – simply the design and siting of this which is squashed against Quinn street in order to allow for the shopping mall and 800 parking bays. We would welcome an affordable housing development with public open spaces, sporting and recreational (and maybe even child care facilities) and even limited retail. But what is proposed is as destructive in its own way to us all. There shouldn’t be a binary of illegal occupation and its problem consequences or an unsustainable, environmentally hostile commercial development. The city can and should do better

You can make a submission or register an objection (details further down), but before doing so, make sure you read the information below and engage with the documents located in the links.

You can find the applicant’s development motivation memorandum here and the proposed site development map here.

Objections to the applications need to be in by July 11th 2025.
The regulations permit objections but require you to provide reasons for your objection. We encourage those of you who are more immediately affected (whether you live or work or run a business nearby, or commute down Victory road or are concerned about the impact this proposed development will have on our environment) to please submit an individual, personal objection.

Should you wish to email an individual objection please use the following information :

SUBJECT LINE : Objection to proposed township development (Victory Park Ext 36) and rezoning applications for Erven Portions 246 and 247 of the Farm Braamfontein 53-IR

Email both : 

objectionsplanning@joburg.org.za

info@lindtiztownplanners.co.za

Please cc: victoryparkx36@gmail.com (this is the email address being used to collate all objections)

You must include your name, surname, physical address and contact details (email and cell phone)

Please see below for some of the reasons that have been raised as reasons for objection. Feel free to choose what concerns you most and elaborate on these. Please do use your own words and also add any other objections you may have.
Objections to the applications need to be in by July 11th 2025.

We have also developed (with the assistance of JoburgCAN) an online simple to complete form that will allow any concerned person or business to easily submit an objection. Please distribute the link to this form – https://form.123formbuilder.com/6860914/coj-rezone-objection to all people who you think would like to have their voice heard. If you use this form please do add a personal comment (if everyone was to copy and paste and have the same objections, your submission and others like yours will then be taken as a single petition and have less weight).

Some of the primary reasons for objecting are :

1. Excessive and Inappropriate scale and nature of the development relative to its context. The proposed shopping centre of 25,000 m² is out of place in the General Urban Zone where the site is located. The density of the housing component is also excessive and more appropriate for higher-order nodes like the Inner City, Metropolitan Nodes, or Regional Nodes.
2. The location of the site does not make it suitable to be developed as a regional node and shopping centre.
3. Significant worsening of current traffic congestion on Victory Road
4. The proposed layout is non-compliant with City Open Space and greening requirements.
5. The current site is part of an ecologically sensitive, larger open space network linked to the Braamfontein Spruit, and the proposed development is disregarding this critical uninterrupted open space system.
6. The City itself has declared the site an ecologically sensitive area (floodline and wetland buffer) that must be zoned “Public Open Space” so that it cannot be developed
7. Degradation of an environmentally sensitive area and likely worsening pollution of the river and surrounding open space
8. Excessive development with hard surfacing for the shopping mall and parking will create difficulties with managing stormwater and there is a high risk of increased flooding in the area
9. The negative economic impact of the proposed extensive retail space on nearby shopping areas and restaurants in Victory Park, Greenside, Linden, Emmarentia, Craighall Park, Parkview, Melville and Parkhurst has not been evaluated. This development duplicates existing shopping and restaurant hubs with no demonstrable evidence of need or desirability for this.
10. The proposed location of the taxi rank off Victory Road is a major concern due to its proximity to neighbouring residential properties on Quinn Street and Greenside and creates a conflictual and incompatible land use interface with the neighbouring communities due to risks of compromised security, noise, air, and water pollution.
11. Overshadowing of properties, and negative impact on the amenity (quality of life), character and value of the neighbouring residential homes as a result of loss of privacy, and the increased pollution and noise associated with business 1 uses, delivery vehicles and public transport ranks
12. Pressure on stressed and unreliable water supply and sewerage system in an area already struggling with regular water outages and water throttling
13. Aging power infrastructure in the area will be under increased pressure and the scale of the development means a likelihood of even more regular power failures, trips and outages as the grid struggles to cope with existing demand
14. Other layouts more sympathetic to site sensitivities or different development types (e.g., a sporting precinct or social housing integrated with public open space) were not explored. There is a prioritisation of maximising business and retail floor area and housing units with disregard for the natural and social environment.