30 and 32 Clarence Avenue, at Beaufort Avenue
Deadline for comments or objections: 23 September 2026
Council references: 20/01/2825/2026 — consent use; 20/13/2826/2026 — removal of restrictive conditions
The CRA has reviewed the application for medical consulting rooms and a Pilates studio at this property, obtained professional town-planning input and engaged with the appointed town planner.
Importantly, this is not a rezoning application. The property’s Residential 1 zoning would remain unchanged.
A consent-use application seeks the City’s permission for specified additional activities within the existing zoning, subject to approval and any conditions imposed. Unlike rezoning, it does not change the property’s underlying zoning category.
The accompanying removal of restrictive conditions application concerns restrictions recorded in the title deed which may prevent the proposed uses. Removing those conditions does not remove the zoning controls or provide unrestricted permission for commercial development. These are separate layers of control, as explained in the City’s land-use guidance.
That distinction does not mean residents should disregard potential impacts. It does, however, mean the application should be assessed for what it proposes, rather than as an unrestricted change from residential to commercial use.
What is proposed?
The application seeks permission for:
• Medical consulting rooms, with a proposed maximum floor area of 400 m².
• A Pilates studio, described as a “place of instruction”, with a proposed maximum floor area of 200 m².
• Removal of four restrictive title-deed conditions.
The planner advises that approximately ten practitioners are envisaged and that the activities would be accommodated within existing buildings, without increasing the existing floor area.
The concept layout shows on-site parking, with entry from Beaufort Avenue and exit into Clarence Avenue. The layout is not yet final.
The planner has also confirmed that the property is currently used as a family residence, with no business presently operating there. The new owners are seeking permission for the proposed uses.
Residents’ concerns and the CRA’s assessment
The CRA is aware of a small number of objections and recognises residents’ concerns about traffic, parking, operating hours and the cumulative effect of non-residential activities in the neighbourhood. These concerns deserve consideration, particularly for those living closest to the property.
Our responsibility is to assess each application consistently, informed by professional advice, the applicable planning framework and the likely effects of the particular proposal. This approach is important to maintaining the CRA’s credibility and effectiveness when representing residents.
With this in mind, we put questions to the appointed town planner about the current use, proposed activities, practitioner and client numbers, operating hours, parking and possible future expansion.
We consider the responses satisfactory as a basis for not objecting to the proposed uses in principle. This does not mean that every operational detail is settled or that residents’ concerns have been dismissed.
Operating hours and protection of neighbours
The CRA has raised operating hours and the management of the proposed activities with the planner. We encourage the owners and operators to incorporate these concerns into their final arrangements, with particular care around early-morning arrivals, class changeovers, parking and neighbouring homes.
The response refers to a possible 05:00 Pilates start and more daily classes than the original motivation. Our position should not be interpreted as endorsement of that earlier start; these differences still warrant clarification.
Medical consulting rooms and instructor-led Pilates are not, by their nature, activities ordinarily associated with excessive noise. Nevertheless, their actual management matters, and even relatively quiet uses can affect neighbours through vehicle movements and people arriving or leaving.
Any approval would remain subject to its conditions and applicable laws and municipal bylaws, including requirements concerning noise and nuisance. Consent use is not an exemption from those obligations.
The CRA’s position
On the information currently available, the CRA does not intend to object to the proposed uses in principle.
We favour a clearly defined, appropriately managed operation that respects its residential surroundings. Our position relates to the activities described in this application—not materially broader activities or unrestricted future expansion.
The City remains responsible for deciding the applications and determining appropriate conditions.
Our questions and the planner’s answers
For transparency, we have prepared an anonymised summary of the questions we asked, the answers received and the points that remain to be clarified. The concept layout is also included here.
Layout received – A201 Q&A with the applicant’s planner
How can residents participate?
Residents remain entitled to submit their own comments or objections, whether or not they agree with the CRA’s assessment.
Submissions must reach the following addresses by 23 September 2026:
• City of Johannesburg: objectionsplanning@joburg.org.za
• Applicant’s town planner: breda@bredalombard.co.za
Please copy townplanning@cra.org.za for our records. Sending comments only to the CRA does not constitute submission to the City.
Include your name, property address, erf number where available, the relevant application references and the reasons for your submission.
Further guidance is available on the CRA’s town-planning page.
Application documents