The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Marathon’s MP yesterday hailed the “courage” of his constituents in alerting the authorities to Woodlawn Gardens Cemetery’s expansion, and said: “We stand with them to ensure full compliance.”

Romauld Ferreira, who is also minister of the environment and housing, told Tribune Business he was opposed to “unregulated development changing the character of the streets” in the Danottage Estates and Village Estates area.

He added that the fight against developments lacking the necessary planning permits was “always on ongoing battle”, especially in New Providence’s urban areas, but pledged to work personally with the Attorney General’s Office and Ministry of Works to ensure all decisions relating to Woodlawn Gardens were fully enforced and obeyed.

Mr Ferreira spoke after Tribune Business revealed that the cemetery, without Town Planning Committee and Department of Physical Planning approvals, had opened up previously closed dead-end roads through Danottage Estates and Village Estates to give funeral-related traffic access to its northern section.

This was intended to give vehicles access to a newly-cut perimeter road running around the edge of Woodlawn Gardens, in what neighbours believe is an attempt to expand the cemetery after its southern section became overcrowded.

Residents, many of whom have signed a 200-strong petition in opposition, argued that their quality of life is under threat from increased traffic congestion and parking problems. They are also citing potential health, environmental and safety problems stemming from burial plots being located right next to their property boundaries.

Adrian White, the Town Planning Committee’s chairman, subsequently confirmed to Tribune Business that no approvals had either been issued to, or applied for, by Woodlawn Gardens Cemetery when it came to opening up multiple dead-end roads or cutting its perimeter access road. He added that a “stop order” has been issued to the cemetery on February 25, 2020.

“If it’s a challenge they suffer from then I’m concerned,” Mr Ferreira said of his constituents’ worries. “Once it was brought to my attention I notified the ministries concerned and they commenced their investigation.

“Several constituents came to see my during my office hours, and they also telephoned me. I support them. We don’t want the character of their neighbourhoods to change, particularly if it’s unregulated. We’ll work with the Attorney General’s Office and Ministry of Works to ensure that whatever edicts are issued, they’re complied with. It’s always an ongoing battle with the urbanisation of certain areas.”

Mr Ferreira said had had been “made to understand” that Woodlawn Gardens had submitted an application for the relevant planning permissions, but no determination had been made or approvals issued by the relevant government agencies.

However, Mr White told this newspaper on Wednesday that no application had been received. “There are no approvals in place and there is no application pending,” he told Tribune Business of the cemetery’s activities to-date. “The works that have been carried out are without approval, and a ‘stop order’ has been issued.”

Mr Ferreira, meanwhile, added: “I’m so grateful to the residents around there for their vigilance and bringing it to the attention of the authorities. It’s now time for us to enforce whatever decision is taken by the Ministry of Works.

“The residents of that area have shown courage in just bringing this to the attention of the nation, and we certainly support them at the Marathon constituency office and myself. We support that courage, and stand with them to ensure obedience and full compliance with the law.

“Their roads and communities are very important. They represent who Bahamians really are; hard working, resilient, and wanting to leave a legacy for their children,” Mr Ferreira added. “There’s nothing wrong with that. They don’t want that disturbed in any way, which is a reasonable position to take.”

Mr Ferreira said he was in “constant contact” with Desmond Bannister, minister of works, on the matter, and reiterated that he would “do whatever we have to do with the ministries impacted to ensure the law is enforced”. He added that the Department of Environmental Health Services (DEHS), which comes under his ministry, is not involved in the permitting required by Woodlawn Gardens.

Tribune Business yesterday received complaints from residents that heavy trucks and other clearing/construction equipment was again occupying the newly-opened through roads in Danottage Estates and Village Estates. Mr Ferreira confirmed similar concerns have been expressed to him.

Mr White said the Town Planning Committee planned to invite both residents and the cemetery’s representatives to a hearing in two weeks’ time to allow each to vent their respective cases.

He explained that it would take the form of “a fact-finding mission” where Woodlawn Gardens would be asked to explain what authorisation it believed it had to undertake the clearance and perimeter road construction.