Lightfoot resident frustrated as overgrown bushes in ignored constituency facilitate daylight break-in

A Lightfoot woman, whose house was broken into on the weekend,
is frustrated that her attempts at getting the Government to clear
the overgrown bushes in the area have resulted in a run-around.

Reportedly, unknown persons broke into the woman’s home and
stole her valuables during the daytime hours. However, probably

because of the very high bushes in the area, none of her neighbours
saw anything.
 
The woman reports that she has tried to contact the agencies she
believes are responsible for the clearing of land, but each apparently
has denied responsibility and directed her to call other offices.
 
Frustrated by her plight, the woman telephoned a radio station and
made an impassioned plea for help.

Lightfoot is located in one of those constituencies lost by the Antigua
Labour Party in the last election, and which Prime Minister Gaston
Browne had promised to send to the back of the queue in terms of
public services.
 
Meanwhile, Franz deFreitas, the United Progressive Party (UPP)
caretaker for St. John’s City South, says that a similar situation with
overgrown bushes exists in the Belmont area.
 
However, he says, the residents of that community have opted to
help themselves by putting certain measures in place.

The Lightfoot woman – who claims that she and others have been
paying private service-providers to cut the bushes – suggests that
the owners of these uncleared properties should clean or sell them,
as they are creating hazards for others.

In January, the Cabinet had said that, based on concerns from a
number of communities, it would ask the Development Control
Authority (DCA) to enforce the Physical Planning Act.

This legislation authorizes the DCA to issue Amenity Orders to
private property owners, directing that they remove bushes and/or
derelict structures that pose a health or security risk.
 
It was noted that failure to comply with the notice within 28 days
would result in the DCA proceeding to clean the property and bill
the owner, as provided for under the Act.

The Government is also considering legislation that allows it to sell
the land to cover costs exceeding 50 percent of the value of the land
– if the owner, having received the DCA notice, does not respond.