‘Noisy’ church riles residents
The neighbours of a new church in Sanddrift East say their worst fears about its impact on their community have been confirmed.
The Planetshakers church, in Ocean Spirit Avenue, has held only two Sundays’ worth of services since it opened on Sunday May 15, but residents are already upset about the noise and traffic congestion they accuse the church of bringing to their neighbourhood.
Residents say they raised those very concerns with the City when they objected to the church being built in a street they feel is too narrow for it (“Sanddrift fumes over giant church,” Tabletalk, September 22, 2021).
The residents accuse the church of holding noisy services all Sunday - five services from 8am to 7pm, according to the church’s website.
Neighbour Erla Rabe said she could not tolerate the loud music coming from the church, not only on Sundays but also during practice sessions at various times during the week.
“Sundays are the only days I get to rest because I work for six days a week, but all I have been doing is escaping this loud music and getting out of the house until the services have ended,” she said.
She had visited the church several times to speak to the pastor, but he was never available, she said.
Cindy Crouwe, who lives further down Ocean Spirit Avenue, said that even wearing headphones was not enough to block the noise from the church.
“I work from home, and it’s almost impossible to concentrate with the loud banging of drums coming from that church.”
Cars and buses were parked in the road and neighbouring streets during church services, and residents found it hard to get in and out of their own driveways, she said.
Another resident, Charnel Lamb, said her request to the City to measure the noise from the church had met with no response.
Some 700 people attended the church, but there were only 40 parking bays for them at Sable Square shopping centre and the rest parked in the street, causing congestion, she said.
Planetshakers pastor Fabian Jood told Tabletalk on Friday that he first wanted to speak to the church’s unhappy neighbours before he responded to our questions. Tabletalk emailed questions to the City on Wednesday May 25 and sent follow-up emails on Monday, May 30 but we received no response by deadline. Ward councillor Fabian Ah-Sing did not respond to calls and texts that Tabletalk sent to him on Monday.
