Don’t blame me, Fulton slams Grant

PRESIDENT OF the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Lenworth Fulton, has taken issue with the utterances by his predecessor, Norman Grant, that the current administration has been negligent in its failure to resolve the approval for construction of a multistorey building at the Denbigh Showgrounds in May Pen, Clarendon.

In a Gleaner story published last month, Grant expressed disappointment that the project, which started under his leadership in 2015, had not fully got off the ground.

Since then, Fulton, who took over the reins of the JAS in 2018, has hit back, accusing Grant of pushing the construction project without securing the requisite approvals.

“Norman Grant is out of order. He is blaming my administration for his breaches,” an upset Fulton told The Gleaner.

Meanwhile, chief executive officer of the Clarendon Municipal Corporation, Rowhan Blake, confirmed that when construction of the building started, the JAS had not submitted any plans as required by law.

“We have not given any permission for that building, and construction started without the necessary approval ... . That is the reason why it went to court,” Blake said.

In June 2015, Grant announced that the long-overdue structured development of the 52-acre property was on track and being guided by the Denbigh Development Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the JAS, The aim, he explained was consistent with plans for the Denbigh Showgrounds to be positioned to host income-generating activities throughout the year. He cited the construction of the building then as proof that the long-overdue transformation of the property was finally under way.

“We have demolished all of those old restaurants that we had, and we are now putting up a state-of-the-art food court, to be named the Roger Clarke Food Court, and it will have about 40 shops which we will rent during Denbigh, but most importantly, these shops will be rented on a year-round basis,” he had proudly declared.

Since then, the JAS has complied with a cease-and-desist order from the municipal corporation and has not done any further work on the building, Fulton explained, adding that about eight of the shops have been used as food shops during the annual Denbigh Agricultural, Livestock and Food show.

The JAS recently submitted new building plans, which are being reviewed.