Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
WHEATLEY
DR. ANDREW Wheatley will today embark on his first major project as Mayor of Spanish Town, in the form of a massive sign removal campaign geared towards ridding the municipality of illegal signs and billboards.
"The decision was taken two months ago by the planning and building committee," Dr. Wheatley said. "We went through the requisite procedures and now we are going to be enforcing the law."
Drives of this nature in other municipalities have attracted some public outcry and even threats but Mayor Wheatley remains resolute.
"I don't have a problem with that. I am here to uphold the law. I don't care what they want to say," he asserted.
The council promised that this war against illegal signs would be unparalleled and in the next two weeks the battle against illegal billboards will be brought to other communities within the municipality.
LARGEST DRIVE EVER
"It is going to be the largest drive we have ever had because we are starting from Spanish Town and will extend to other towns such as Bog Walk, Linstead and Old Harbour," explained Ronald Brown, director of planning at the council.
Mr. Brown revealed that only six persons have responded to the requisite notice, published in The Sunday Gleaner last month, informing persons that they need to comply with the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement) Regulation 1978.
On Wednesday, Dr.Wheatley said research conducted by the council revealed that approximately 70 per cent of the signs and billboards in Spanish Town alone were illegal. He said this could not be allowed to continue and cited its contribution to social decay.
Mayor Wheatley was adamant that the window of compromise would be closed as of yesterday.
The new mayor of the volatile Old Capital, who took over after the recent resignation of Dr. Raymoth Notice, pledged that his administration would wage a never-ending war against the erection of illegal signs and billboards.
"If we don't finish on Friday we will continue until all illegal signs are removed," he said.
The drive was scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. this morning near the Jose Marti Technical High School in Twickenham Park and progress into the heart of Spanish Town.
