Mayor says new Corporate Area developments should be regulated to reduce flooding

KINGSTON Mayor Delroy Williams says regulations are needed to require developers to limit the volume of water run-off from new properties in order to reduce the potential for flooding in the Corporate Area.

This, he said, should be part of a comprehensive flood hazard mitigation plan for the city.

“We must regulate new developments in critical areas to ensure that post-development run-off is no greater than pre-development run-off,” he said on Tuesday at the council meeting of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC).

“There must be partnership between us and the residents and the developers, as the issue of potential flooding from greater run-off is a shared problem and a risk to properties and infrastructure, and, in the end, a cost on all of us. So, we have [a need] for understanding, partnerships, and a shared vision.”

Williams, who said that developments should be done within the context of planning, told meeting that the municipality is very concerned about flooding in the city.

According to the mayor, the effects of climate change and the consequences of outdated drainage infrastructure have contributed to flooding and damage across the city.

The planning and engineering departments of the KSAMC, said the mayor, are ready to collaborate with the ministries, agencies, and other stakeholders in developing and sharing information in relation to flood plains across the city.

At the same time, the mayor said that the preservation of private and public open spaces must be included in plans to reduce flooding in the Corporate Area.