News

Trelawny Parish Council warns against constructing police station

By ERICA JAMES-KING, Staff Reporter

Western Bureau:

THE TRELAWNY PARISH Council is warning that it will serve a stop order on the Ministry of National Security if its starts construction of the new Falmouth Police Station, without getting the Council's approval.

The Parish Council is re-echoing its demands for the Security Ministry to urgently provide it with the designs for the new police station. This move is necessary, the council contends, as an act of compliance with existing legislation.

"We have repeatedly requested the plan but the Security Ministry has so far not been forthcoming with the design," bemoaned Mayor of Falmouth, Councillor Jonathan Bartley, yesterday. He made the comments in response to a recent announcement by the government that $250 million has been allocated in this year's budget for the construction of the station.

Falmouth was declared a National Monument by government a few years ago, and so all designs for buildings which are to be constructed within the Falmouth Historic District are required under the Jamaica National Heritage Act, to have a Georgian facade, before it can be approved by town planners. The intended site for the police station falls within that Historic District.

The Town and Country Planning Act, and the development order for the town of Falmouth are regulations that need to be observed by the submission of the plan, the Council contends.

"They are taking too long to submit the plan, and unless the plan is submitted and approved, we cannot give the go-ahead for the construction," warned Mayor Bartley.

The Ministry of National Security, through a Memorandum of Understanding, has designated the National Works Agency (NWA) to be the implementing agency to provide overall management, administration and supervision of the construction exercise.

In October 2001, the then Security Minister KD Knight broke ground for the construction of the new Falmouth police station.