Linden residents have had enough of the Big Brother house and the trouble they believe it brings to their neighbourhood.
Almost 50 residents gathered at Paputzis on Tuesday evening to share their complaints with representatives of the reality show and the company that produces it, Red Pepper Pictures.
Paputzis owner and the convener of the meeting, Ria Slabber, mentioned how much the Big Brother house had affected her business because of the amount of noise coming from there.
“I was told that the Big Brother house would be soundproof, but it wasn’t. And then I complained to Red Pepper and the noise just got worse.
“I’ve run a peaceful restaurant for 18 years and would like to keep doing it. It is impossible to do that with what is next to me. Linden isn’t an industrial area, so respect that. Could we please have Linden back?”
Slabber said the noise continued at all hours and that she had attended numerous meetings in an effort to solve the issue.
Others who attended backed up her complaint and said “it sounds like a circus” and “had changed the atmosphere in the suburb”.
Many worried that it would lead to a drop in property values and that the house was leading to an increase in crime.
Singer and actor Chris Chameleon said he had lived in the area for 44 years.
“I own three properties here and I worry about the value. There are rules and they are for all of us to follow,” he said.
Anton Burggraaf, the executive producer of the reality show, responded that they were doing everything they could to work with the community.
“We have been engaging with the community and we are fully cognisant of the errors that have been made.
“We have now undertaken to limit the noise in the daytime, have limited activities in the garden and don’t play recordings and music into the garden anymore.”
He also said crime in the area had dropped in the past year and that the producers had the correct zoning rights.
The Star