ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Residents once again have uninhibited entry to the beaches at Pearns Point following the Development Control Authority’s (DCA) demolition of a controversial barrier stopping vehicular access.
Government minister with responsibility for the DCA, Chanlah Codrington, last night, supervised the dismantling of the gate located on the road to the beach.
The strong-arm action came after DCA officials encountered “a padlocked gate” instead of being able to drive down to the beach as Jennings resident Macbeth George had indicated earlier in the day on OBSERVER Media.
It’s understood that Orange Limited investors of the multi-million dollar development at Pearns Point open the gate during the day, but lock it at night to prevent the environmentally hazardous illegal sand-mining.
And so having gone after dark, Codrington and the DCA team would not have right of way to the beach. It was around 8 pm that the minister told OBSERVER he felt “a strong signal” needed to be sent to anyone who wished to prohibit access to the beach.
Codrington indicated that the lack of “improvement” despite a letter from the DCA meant that something had to be done about the situation.
He promised that such breaches of the Physical Planning Act 2003 section 60 subsection 1, which deals with public beach access, “will be dealt with severely.”
Having thrown down the gauntlet the minister maintained, “I have no regret, no remorse in ensuring we do what we have to in order to send a strong message the beach is ours and we can use it and bathe there anytime.”
Orange Limited and residents of Jennings are to meet on Thursday, May 24, to thrash out issues regarding beach access.
(More in today’s Daily OBSERVER)
Doesnt Antigua have a Police Force? If someone is stealing (sand) shouldnt the police get involve? “Developers” building a fence is is most likely a result of an underhand deal with Baptiste and quite possibly Southwell.
The gate was illegal, no reason or logic can justify its erection.
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Strong and wrong Mr Codrington, I understand your superior Hilson Baptiste had a meeting with the developers and an arrangement was made to keep the gate in place with the understanding that it would remain open during the day from 6am and close at night.
According to Baptiste, the beach has been affected for years by illegal sand mining, and it was agreed that the gate would serve to keep those thieves out.
I wonder if the developers (who are only trying to protect the sand) will still be keen to install public bathrooms and toilets as agreed with Mr Baptiste.
Just imagine the ignorance of this story, owner/developer gets government agreement to help stop sand mining from the beach, erects a gate and agrees to build public toilets at the beach (that’s the cost of protecting the sand I guess!!) and a junior minister decides the gate is barring local access (and sand miners) to the beach, even though the gate is open from 6am – 8pm. So Mr Codrington brings ABS TV and a backhoe and pulls the gate down, leaving the way open for the sand miners to continue…….
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