Rowley can’t stop housing project

FORMER Planning Minister John Humphrey declared yesterday that his successor Dr Keith Rowley could not block plans by the Issa Nicholas Development Company to construct a multi-million dollar town house complex at Goodwood Park. However, he was uncertain whether all the pre-conditions for that complex’s construction had been met while he was minister.

Last week, Rowley expressed shock that the company had been granted “full planning permission” to build the complex without approval from eight State agencies. The Minister said Humphrey granted permission for the project despite significant objections raised by the Goodwood Park community. Dr Rowley added that his Ministry could take steps to stop the project. Speaking to reporters at the Caribbean Court of Justice yesterday, Humphrey declared: “I don’t think Dr Rowley has the power to stop the project. The courts would have that power but he would not have that power.” He explained that approvals on such projects were either conditional or unconditional. “The approvals I made as minister were conditional on certain things being done, so that one is not an exception,” he said.

Asked whether all the pre-conditions on this project had been met, Humphrey replied: “I don’t know because some of those conditions pertained to water, to roads, environment, things like that. You have agencies who are responsible for those things.” The former minister added that he was particularly baffled by the reaction of residents to the project. “I could not understand the objection raised by Goodwood Park residents because in Goodwood Park you already have apartment complexes finished. So why are they raising objections to this one?” he asked.    The residents objected to the development following heavy rains last year which caused significant damage to private property and the roadway in the upscale west Trinidad neighbourhood.