Rezoning of Parkhurst Bowls Club

Rezoning Application for Parkhurst Bowls Club (Victory Park X36) – Submit Your Comments by Friday, 11 July 2025

A major development application has been submitted for the Parkhurst Bowls Club property, situated along Victory Road opposite the Pikitup garden site. While technically in Victory Park, this site lies directly on the Braamfontein Spruit and falls within Johannesburg’s last intact green corridor.

The proposal includes:

A 25,000 m² shopping mall
204 four-storey apartment blocks, densely packed along the Quinn Street edge
A taxi rank and 800 parking bays

This is City-owned land that has long served as a community facility and forms part of the public green belt connecting Delta Park to the wider Braamfontein Spruit. The developer’s plan would introduce high-density construction, paving and hard surfaces into a fragile ecological zone, permanently damaging the natural character of the area and setting a dangerous precedent for development on other parks, dams, and bowls clubs across Johannesburg.

Why this matters for Craighall Park, Craighall, Dunkeld West and beyond
The development is not just a Victory Park issue. It will have significant knock-on effects for neighbouring suburbs, including:

Loss of green space and biodiversity: This site sits within a Critically Endangered ecosystem. The proposed buffers between the wetland and buildings are inadequate, and there’s no real stormwater management plan. The natural floodplain of the Spruit would be disrupted.
Traffic overload: Victory Road is already under pressure. The proposed scale of development, including a taxi rank and 800 parking bays, will bring congestion, noise, and safety concerns.
Water and electricity strain: There is no evidence that Johannesburg’s current infrastructure can support this scale of additional demand. No capacity letters or credible assessments have been shared.
Lack of public engagement: Communities that use the park, walk the trails, or live nearby were not properly consulted. The development was put forward without meaningful local input.
Vague developer promises: There are no binding timelines or commitments around infrastructure upgrades, and no clarity on who will be responsible for maintaining public spaces, if any remain.

The developer’s design concentrates apartment blocks along one side of the property in order to prioritise the commercial elements, in particular, a large mall and vast parking area. This design does not reflect community needs or long-term sustainability.

CRA’s Position
The Craigpark Residents’ Association (CRA) is working with the Greenside Residents’ Association (GRA), PRABOA (Parkhurst Residents and Business Owners Association), and other civic organisations to push back against this proposal. We are not opposed to development. We support responsible, inclusive planning that integrates with the surrounding neighbourhood and serves the people who live there.

We believe that a more appropriate development could include:

Integrated residential design with open space and landscaping
Childcare or community facilities
Limited retail that complements the area
Full community consultation and environmental safeguards

Johannesburg deserves better than reckless development. This is not a binary choice between illegal occupation and commercial overdevelopment. There is a middle path, but it has not been explored.

How you can help
Residents have until Friday, 11 July 2025 to submit their comments or objections.

Option 1 – The quick and easy route (2 minutes)
Submit your objection online using the JoburgCAN digital form:
🔗 https://forms.joburgcan.org.za/form-6860914/coj-rezone-victory-park-x36https://joburgcan.org.za/objection/victorypark

Option 2 – Email a written objection or comment
Send your submission to:
✉️ objectionsplanning@joburg.org.za
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