By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Planning and environmental regulators cannot do the job demanded by the Bahamian people because all are “under-resourced and under-staffed”, an MP has asserted.

Adrian White, the Opposition MP for St Anne’s, told Tribune Business that the blame and responsibility for this lay with the Government and successive administrations that have elected not to provide agencies such as the Department of Physical Planning and Department of Environmental Protection (DEPP) with the manpower, expertise and capacity to perform their jobs properly.

Speaking after the disclosure of events that led to a certificate of environmental clearance (CEC) being granted for a dock on ecologically-sensitive Athol Island, he said: “Our building authorities, our environmental authorities overall are under-staffed and under-resourced.

“I remember when I was chair of the Town Planning Committee, working along with the Department of Physical Planning, and we had instances where the inspectors who were responsible for the inspections of setbacks on any no of inspections, tens or hundreds for the year, three of them would get into their private vehicles to drive around the island to do these inspections.”

Mr White said these setback inspections were especially critical when dealing with liquor stores, as these must be at least 70 feet away from a school or church in order to be licensed to sell alcohol. He added that the reliance on private vehicles was a sign of a department that lacked the resources to properly fulfill its mandate and perform all that is demanded from it.

“The Department of Physical Planning does not have the resources and manpower for them to do the job the public expects, and it seems that there’s a lack of understanding,” the St Anne’s MP told this newspaper. “It’s not the individual’s fault, but it’s the Government’s willingness and lack of responsibility to under-resource these bodies like the Department of Physical Planning and DEPP.”

Enforcement of the zoning regulations provides a further challenge, Mr White added. “Someone who has a single family residential property applies for commercial use and, if not commercial, applies for multi-family,” he said. “Our zoning landscape is changed on a regular basis by persons that know when they’ve bought what they’ve bought.

“But they take it upon themselves to change the surrounding community and its interests for the benefit of their private interests and return on investment. Our Bahamian patrimony is where it is, our Crown Land is where it is for the benefit of all Bahamians, and is not to be abused by one or two. It never should be, it never can be.”

Mr White spoke after it was revealed that environmental regulators gave the go-ahead to an Athol Island developer just one month after ordering him to “cease and desist” unauthorised construction activities at the same location.

The Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) revealed that despite issuing three such orders to Andrew Hanna - at least one of which remains in effect today - it nevertheless granted a certificate of environmental clearance (CEC) that permitted him to construct a dock on the island off New Providence’s north-east coast.

The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, in a statement issued on DEPP’s behalf, said Andrew Hanna initially applied in January 2024 for a CEC permit to develop a restaurant, rest area and dock on an island that sits at the heart of a Marine Protected Area (MPA), well-known for its fish and marine life, and is also a site of historical significance given its past as a quarantine station.

However, upon undertaking a site visit to Athol Island, DEPP officials found construction of the restaurant and rest area was already underway. And, despite issuing the first “cease and desist” order to Mr Hanna to halt such activities, the environmental regulator granted him the requested CEC - for the dock only - on February 16, 2024, on the understanding that any other development would face further review.

Yet DEPP’s January 2024 site visit also revealed a seawall was under construction, with the ministry stating: “It is unclear as to whether the appropriate building permits were obtained for the construction of the seawall.” Construction permits, it added, could only be obtained once the CEC is issued.

Two more cease and desist orders were subsequently issued to Mr Hanna after further concerns raised over Athol Island development. “In April 2024, the Department conducted a site visit in response to reports that the construction of the rest areas and a restaurant were underway on the property,” the ministry said.

“Accordingly, a cease and desist order was issued to Mr Hanna. Upon investigation, there were signs of oxidised limestone and wood, indicating that the disturbance was not new or active. The cease and desist has since been lifted.

“The matter was raised again in the House of Assembly on July 17, 2024. Out of an abundance of caution, a cease and desist was issued until the Department was able to conduct a comprehensive review of the entire site and meet with the environmental consultant of record,” the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources said.

“Officers of the DEPP conducted a site visit on that day to determine if any activities outside of those for which clearance was issued were being conducted. It was determined that the site was predominantly unchanged since the April 2024 visit. The cease and desist remains in place.”