DCA Issues Bland Statement

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Thursday, 24 May 2012 02:30

By Everton Barnes

Antigua St John's - The Development Control Authority has issued a carefully worded statement following a meeting on Wednesday to tackle the Pearns Point issue, which stopped short of reprimanding anyone for their actions over the past week.

The statement stated it regretted ‘the unfortunate incidents over the past several days’, but made no mention of the erection of a gate across the public road nor the involvement of Minister Chanlah Codrington in the forced removal of the gate under the cover of night.

The statement followed a meeting convened by Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer to resolve the issue at Pearns Point where a multi-million dollar development is taking place, but which has also had a serious problem with illegal sand mining.

The DCA said it would now undertake in earnest the delicate balancing act of ensuring that the laws are uphold relating to free public access to the beach, while at the same time preventing sand mining.

“To this end the DCA will take all appropriate measures or address these two important national concerns. With immediate effect the DCA, will seek the enforcement of the Beach Protection Act and in addition put in place mechanism to reduce the incidents of sand mining,” the statement said.

The state institution said illegal sand mining is not just a concern at Pearns Point, but that it is a national issue. “The DCA views the problem of sand mining as a national one that needs to be addressed with the greatest of urgency.

Beach access, safety and preservation are also national issues irrespective of where they arise. The DCA calls on the general public to report to the police any removal of sand from the beaches that they observe,” the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, Gaye Hechme, spokesperson for the developers of the hotel project Orange Ltd., has been quoted on the local media stating that her company never intended to bar public access from the beach when it erected the gate, but rather it was acting in a manner to prevent the continued illegal sand mining activity in the area.

The controversy began when the people of Jennings complained about the erection of the gate claiming that it barred access to the beach. The matter led to a situation where the Minister of Agriculture, Hilson Baptiste, and Minister of State, Codrington, finding themselves on opposite sides of the discussions.

It took Spencer’s intervention to arrive at what has been described as an amicable solution.

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