The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has passed off claims by the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), that phase two of the Bah?a Pr?ncipe hotel in Pear Tree Bottom is being built without a permit, as false.

JET claimed the hotel was issued a permit by NEPA without holding further consultations with residents who are concerned that the hotel is too big. The hotel requested 1,918 rooms and that was reduced to 1,610 by NEPA. Only 734 have already been built under phase one of the project.

JET also claimed the hotel sewerage plant was inadequate and suggested there may have been sewerage spills on the property as residents were smelling foul odours coming from there.

Unfavourable sewerage design

In response to the allegations levelled by JET, public education manager at NEPA, Zaidie Neufville, noted that NEPA was not pleased with the current design of the sewerage plant either and had asked the developers to revise the design to protect the existing sinkholes and mangroves on the property.

However, NEPA said a meeting with the public was not necessary as an initial meeting was already held when the hotel came on-stream. Ms. Neufville noted that the invitation for public consultation was meant to invite further comments from the public on the development and not to hold a second meeting.

She said a plan for phase two of the development had been approved, but a permit had not been granted as the environmentalists claim and no construction had begun.

"We are not contemplating any increase (in room stock). We have in fact, approved 358 rooms lower than requested," Ms. Neufville assured.

The Bahia Principe has been under investigation for breaches of its phase-one permit during construction. It was alleged that the developers were using illegally mined sand to dump the beachfront of the property. Investigations into the allegations have so far been inconclusive.