Prime Minister Andrew Holness points to something of interest in the model of the Silver Sun Estates housing project in St Catherine as he toured the project with chairman of West Indies Home Contractors (Wihcon), Peter Melhado on Wednesday. (Photo: JIS)
Prime Minister Andrew Holness yesterday requested a full brief on the plans for the Bernard Lodge housing development in St Catherine.
This followed his assertion on Wednesday at the National Housing Trust (NHT) groundbreaking ceremony for the Silver Sun Estates in Innswood, St Catherine, that small island states like Jamaica could not allow developments to spread in a haphazard manner.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness made the statement in responseto criticisms raised about the plans for a new city development in St Catherine, including the potential environmental threats related to the project.
Insisting that the approach to housing development must be orderly, Holness confirmed yesterday that he has requested a full brief on the development plans.
“There is always the issue of the utilisation of land (we) shouldn’t be using land, for housing which is good agricultural land, how will it affect the aquifer, the development and environmental concerns and it is something that I am very sensitive to and it is never easy. But, the nation must never lose sight of the ultimate goal, and the ultimate goal is to provide shelter in an orderly way and in a sustainable way. I have now requested a full brief,” he said.
“Since I have launched the programme it has advanced, so I want to see where they are with it, as the public concerns need to be addressed. But, I wish to say here that I am very concerned about the sprawling nature of residential developments,” he stated.
In the meantime, the prime minister says the Government may incentivise developments in higher density towns and cities, such as Mandeville and Montego Bay, if developers focus on constructing multi-storey apartments in those areas.
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