Westmoreland Chamber, WMC at odds over building plans
Published:Wednesday | August 16, 2023 | 12:11 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCCI) has demanded that the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation (WMC) furnish housing development plans so entrepreneurs can strategise their business plans.
But Bertel Moore, mayor of Savanna-la-Mar, is not pleased that the Westmoreland business community amplified its call for the development plans in the media.
Moore also said he is not in possession of development plans.
The building projections that the WCCI seeks relate to a multitude of proposed housing projects that are scheduled to begin throughout the parish.
Moses Chybar, president of the WCCI, argued that the new developments will require them to provide supporting infrastructure.
“We, as a parish, together must now call on the municipal corporation to produce the development plan. It is no secret that houses are going to be built, as it was announced publicly by the prime minister, plus the municipal corporation should be aware because they approve developments,” he stated.
“It has become very urgent that the development plan be produced, so that we can now continue to look at the commercial side of things to support the housing developments across the parish,” the local business leader insisted on saying.
When contacted by The Gleaner, Moore chided the WCCI.
REQUEST FOR A PLAN
“Did he come to request it?” Moore said in reference to Chybar’s request for a plan that he had previously requested without success. “Tell him to check in with us.
“He is demanding something and he is going to the media without coming to us, which does not sound appropriate.”
Asked if there was a development plan for the parish, Moore said: “There is absolutely none at this present time. I would have to go to the planning department to get that. I couldn’t tell you off the back of my head what the plans are.”
When pressed further, he stated: “I would not know all the things off the back of my head. I could never retain all the plans that are in this council for approval or what is approved ready.
“I know of quite a bit of housing plans, commercial plans, but I wouldn’t be able to tell you them off (the top of) my head,” Moore said.
According to Chybar, it makes no sense constructing 500 or 2,000 home developments in an area where children must travel too far for school, medical services, and supermarkets, among other essential services.
“With a development plan, the Chamber can bring the business districts together to help to see how we can assist and be part of those commercial developments to make it easier for our citizens of the parish, in having all the amenities they need, without driving all over the place to get access to basic supplies,” Chybar argued.
During a ground-breaking for the construction of 60 two-bedroom housing units last week, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that approximately 4,500 housing solutions will be constructed, starting next year.
The units are being developed under the National Housing Trust’s (NHT) Guaranteed Purchasing Programme, in partnership with the principals of Sheffield Palms Development, as part of their 113 housing project.
“Now we’re planning 4,500 new housing solutions for the parish of Westmoreland, which will include Shrewsbury Phase One’s 32 nearly completed housing solutions and Savanna Park’s 41 under-construction housing solutions,” Holness announced for the most westerly parish.
“We have Shrewsbury Phase Two, 27 housing solutions, and those will start next year. We have Orlands, 520 housing solutions, and those will start next year. And we have Paradise, 2,453 housing, and that is projected to start next year,” the prime minister told residents.
Among the 4,500 new housing solutions, 1,365 are currently in development and should be completed by 2025.