Udecott chairman:

RESIDENTS from the communities of St Ann’s, Cascade and Hololo will not lose any part of President’s Grounds in St Ann’s when the construction of a new “diplomatic centre” at La Fantasie, that includes the Prime Minister’s official residence, is completed in early 2007.

This was the assurance given yesterday by Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) chairman Calder Hart.

Following a May 23 meeting between Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Hart and community representatives at Whitehall, the residents said it was agreed that a three-member technical team from the community would meet with Udecott’s technical staff on the plans for President’s Grounds. The residents had expressed dissatisfaction with Hart during meetings with him on February 9, March 8 and April 27. Residents said the main issue was the perimeter wall of the Prime Minister’s residence being shifted one-third into President’s Grounds, the loss of community facilities and residents retaining the use of the grounds. Speaking with Newsday at the TT Manufacturers Association’s offices in Barataria yesterday, Hart said the presentation made by Udecott’s technical committee about plans for President’s Grounds had not satisfied the community, the committee was being restructured and would meet with the community “very quickly” but he could not give an exact date.

Asked whether any part of President’s Grounds would be lost to the new Prime Minister’s residence, Hart replied: “It has nothing to do with the residence. It has to do more with the issue of security for the Prime Minister. The proposal we had made was to establish a security zone at the same to look at the site north of President’s grounds occupied by the Community Development Ministry.”

He said additional facilities (such as a police post, rugby and football fields) would be built on that site, “so there would be no net loss of space for the community.” “In fact, there will be an increased amount of space (for the community).”

While stating that the plan for the Prime Minister’s new residence was still being fleshed out, Hart said the new La Fantasie structure will be a diplomatic centre and the Prime Minister’s residence will be a small part of that structure.

He added that with TT’s increasing international profile, it was necessary for its government and public institutions to reflect that.