Controversy rages on in Saxonwold after the controversial Gupta family's palatial mansion was given a thumbs up by the City of Johannesburg just days before the local government elections.

Saxonwold residents are up in arms as they believe that the city's planning committee ignored a number of facts when it approved the family's rezoning application.

Sowetan understands that the planning committee approved the Guptas' application to legalise their structure on July 27 - the same day it had visited the compound to asses the rezoning application.

However, city spokesman Virgil James said: "The normal process was followed, the application was assessed and referred for a hearing due to the objections. The hearing was scheduled a few weeks in advance to give due notice to all parties. Now the owner of the site must comply with the conditions of approval," James said, without clarifying what those conditions were.

The Gupta's first application was initially turned down on October 7 2013, but the family brought a new application.

Since 2010 the Saxonwold & Parkwood Residents Association (Sapra) has been opposing the Guptas' application to the City of Johannesburg to rezone their properties at 5 and 7 Saxonwold Drive to legitimise the construction of mansions they had already built, which it is claimed are too large for the stand.

Sapra chairwoman Tessa Turvey said council has ignored these previous concerns and simply rubber-stamped the Guptas' plans.

"It sets a wrong precedent for other properties in the area. Council appears to have ignored certain facts in that the use of the property is not for a single family, yet they stipulate this certain use in the approval. Council has also not specified when site development plans need to be effected on the property. The fact is that council has approved this application in isolation and not taken into account previous concerns," Turvey said.

She said they are to decide whether to appeal this decision by council.

"Privacy and devaluation of property, as well as continuous parking infringements on pavements is an enormous issue for the immediate neighbour," added Turvey.

The residents argued that the house was far too big: the building covers 859m², 170m² more than allowed by the zoning regulations;

lThey have too many kitchens: the building plans include three kitchens, even though the regulations only allow one per house;

lThe house is too high: a lift and stairs access was added to make provision for a fourth storey, yet only a maximum of three storeys is permitted; and

lThey're blocking the sewer: the building was built on an existing drainage system, contravening requirements that buildings must have adequate access to all drains below and all existing sewer connection.

The family owns three properties on Saxonwold Drive where brothers Atul, Ajay and Rajesh live with their families.

Questions have also been asked about the council's approval to the plans just before the elections.

City of Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba's spokesman Tony Taverna-Turisan said an investigation will be conducted regarding the approval of the application.

"The mayor is very disturbed by these allegations and will conduct an investigation into what happened. If any wrongdoing is found, immediate action will be taken," said Taverna-Turisan.

Gupta family did not comment to questions that were sent to their email yesterday.