Demolition Coming for Illegal Settlements, this month announces Ministry of PPID

By Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, March 14, 2023 – The government is actively tackling informal settlements with at least two demolitions scheduled for early March. The information was revealed at a press conference hosted on Wednesday March 1 by Jamell Robinson, Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development at CrackPot Kitchen.

“We are currently visiting two active sites that we are looking to carry out some demolishing works, one in Grand Turk and the other in the Lower Bight,” said Toriano Williams, Deputy Director of Planning.

Williams explained that the Department had already carried out the majority of its due diligence as it related to legislation including getting enforcement notices approved at the Board level, by the Director and also by the Minister.

“Sometimes these sites are sometimes the breeding grounds for criminal activities and improper use of the spaces in terms of disposal of solid waste. In any event, if there is an emergency those persons that live there are vulnerable [having] no access by emergency personnel,” he said.

Williams maintained that it was for these reasons as well as hurricane risk in unplanned areas that residents should endeavour to involve the Planning Department in all of their construction.

Jamell Robinson, Minister of PPID maintained that despite the urgency of the issue the demolitions would be carried out humanely.

“Informal settlements [have] been a vexing issue for decades in this country so we have to demonstrate to people that we are cognizant of it and we are doing something about it. We are doing it by the law and we are doing it in a humane way to make sure all involved are not adversely impacted.”

Minister Robinson confirmed that there is cooperation with the Human Rights Commission; keeping them abreast of all the steps as the demolition process progresses in order to avoid stalling or delays once the Order is given, due to humanitarian issues.

“We legitimately have to get our hands around it and it’s not only government land– what was a two-bedroom little shanty becomes a ten-bedroom in no time.”

It was 10 months ago, during the TCIs First Climate Change Summit that Washington Misick, TCI Premier made a promise that the government would address the settlements with a new task force.

Also present at the press meeting were all four PPID Departments, namely: Toriano Williams, Deputy Director of Planning; Neroy Kennedy, Director of Estate Management; Ian Constantine, Deputy Director of Capital Projects and Dominique Durham, the Director of Housing.

Photo:  Toriano Willilams, Deputy Director of Department of Planning, TCIG