Claudia Gardner, Gleaner Writer

LUCEA, Hanover:

Two councillors of the Hanover Parish Council have taken their own council to task for commencing construction of a car park at Hopewell in the parish, without getting approval from the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and the Public Health Department.

The councillors, Sheridan Samuels of the Cauldwell Division and Fredrocious Miller of Green Island, made their comments following concerns raised by Derrick Storer, chief public health Inspector for Hanover. According to Mr. Storer, the council had started construction at the site without submitting plans of the proposed sewage disposal facilities.

"Council went and awarded a contract for work to be done at the Hopewell Transport Centre without the approval of the National Environment and Planning Agency," Councillor Samuels said. "It is a serious breach. I am informed that it is not council's property, yet we have gone ahead and started work ..."

Serious problems

Mr. Samuels warned: "We are going to find ourselves in some serious problems ... What if something should happen up there and people realise that NEPA did not give any approval to do any work on the transport centre?"

For his part, Councillor Miller said he was amazed to know that the council had not submitted plans to the two regulatory agencies.

"I have spoken at length about spending money on a property not owned by the Hanover Parish Council, and it further irks me to know that not even a proper drawing was done," Miller said.

He has called for a stop to all work at the site until there was proof of ownership and proper drawings which were approved by both NEPA and the Public Health Department.