Snail’s pace at Hanover Municipal Corporation

Yet to make decision on building application 12 years after it was submitted

“It is unfortunate that an application is here 12 years and a decision has not been made.”

OFFICIALS OF the Hanover Municipal Corporation are now trying to determine why a building application, which was submitted to it in 2006, has still not been processed, despite the fact that all the requisite fees were paid years ago.

The application which was submitted by Cleve Campbell, a Jamaican now living in the United States, came up for mention at the most recent meeting of the corporation’s Physical, Planning and Environment Committee.

But action was delayed for another month, as Sophia Kerr-Reid, the director of planning at the corporation, said she could not explain why the application was not decided on, and asked for time to check on the details.

“I don’t think it is fair to say that they have made the application so long ago and have not had any response from the council. There would have to be some form of communication from the council, advising the applicant of any deficiencies with the application in terms of the requirements that needed to be submitted,” said Kerr-Reid.

“It is unfortunate that an application is here 12 years and a decision has not been made. When an application is made to the council, we have two obligations, we approve or we refuse. I have to look at the application (to determine) why either of these decisions was not made and advise accordingly,” added Kerr-Reid.

The building application submitted by Campbell is for the construction of eight condominium-type family houses in the Pedro area of western Hanover.

When Campbell was contacted by The Sunday Gleaner, he said he submitted his application in 2006 and paid approximately $500,000 in fees. According to Campbell, he has been getting the runaround since then and is not sure what is happening.

“I have done everything they requested, even downsize my plans from 10 units to eight units and made other suggested adjustments,” said Campbell.

He added that the adjustments to his original plans had cost him thousands of dollars. “I visited Jamaica in August of 2017, went to the corporation and was told that they cannot find the plans, and I had to pay them another fee to search for it, to no avail,” charged Campbell.

He said he was now getting some digitised plans from his original architects to resubmit to corporation, and this is costing him more money.

According to Campbell, he is worried that there might be an orchestrated plan to stop his development.