News
Multi-agency team continues enforcement and inspection exercises within informal settlements
PRESS RELEASE
FROM THE INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS UNIT
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands 13th January 2025 – Multi-agency team continues enforcement and inspection exercises within informal settlements On December 11th and 12th 2024, a team comprising representatives from the Crown Land Unit (CLU), Physical Planning Department, Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), Ministry of Immigration and Border Services, and the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force successfully conducted enforcement and inspection exercises in Five Cays and Lower Bight.
In the first exercise on Wednesday 11th, Notices of Unauthorised Occupation were served on five incomplete and unoccupied structures on a block of Crown Land along South Dock Road, Five Cays. Enforcement Notices were also issued to seventy-six structures across four private sites in Lower Bight. These notices cite unauthorised developments and direct that the structure be removed within a specified timeframe.
On Thursday 12th, the team returned to Five Cays and served Letters of Illegal Occupation on sixty-three occupied structures on another block of Crown Land. Letters were given to the occupants by hand and, in cases where occupants could not be located, posted on the structures.
Letters of Illegal Occupation instruct occupants to “desist from carrying out further development”. The property will be continuously monitored for activity in breach of this instruction. Further action can be taken by the Crown Land Unit if further breaches are observed.
Thursday’s joint exercise reinforced the commitment of the agencies to their shared responsibility to stem the proliferation of illegal occupation private and Crown lands across the Turks and Caicos Islands.
