By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

TRANSPORT and Housing Minister Jobeth Coleby-Davis yesterday hit back at criticisms about the government’s Pinecrest Subdivision project after concerns were raised about alleged flooding in the area.

Speaking to reporters before yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Mrs Coleby-Davis called the criticisms “silliness” and went on to defend the integrity of the government’s housing initiative.

She insisted the area was still under construction and fill had not been added to the plots of land, suggesting this was the reason why water may have settled in some portions of the property.

“I don’t normally acknowledge silliness if I could say it,” she said. “It’s a construction site. Clearly, there’s been no fill added to the property as yet because we’re still constructing. There’s been no soil, no landscaping and so it’s apparent that there are mischief makers around trying to discourage the potential homeowners. You have a lot of persons who are excited to be homeowners at the Pinecrest Subdivision and I’m excited about the work that’s happening there.

“The timeline is really impressing me because I think this is the first time people have seen this sort of movement in a government subdivision programme where nine months after coming to government, I’ll say in August 2021. Many who wanted to be homeowners didn’t know the first steps or the timelines of them becoming homeowners and now nine months later, they can actually see that their keys will be in their hands very soon. So. I don’t really want to focus too much on the stuff that’s been going around.”

She also said: “I’m working closely with every agency that’s been set up to assist us in the Pinecrest Subdivision. We have a lot of plans that’s coming out of the infrastructural work. The Ministry of Works have been partnering with us. So, I can assure you that all that needs to be addressed where there are concerns (is being addressed). It’s not an area that’s been prone to flooding. It’s just maybe hard rain where you have some water settled at one portion of the road, but that’s been it when we spoke to the residents that presently live there. They haven’t had much issues with flooding. It’s a construction zone. That typically happens when you have a lot of rain and you haven’t provided the fill yet which normally soaks up the water.”

She said officials are also working to finalise a drainage plan for the community.

The Pinecrest project is a public-private partnership initiative between the government and Arawak Homes Limited.

According to the minister, a total of 47 homes are being built in the area in the first stage, with some of those homes earmarked for completion sometime this month.

The remaining houses will be finished in the months thereafter, Mrs Coleby-Davis has previously said.