• Hope Town told all development needs CEC approval
• Council considers suspending all permit applications
• Top councillor: Ease of doing business just got harder

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

More than $24m worth of development and construction projects targeted at Hope Town have been placed on hold due to the creation of a “major roadblock” in the approval and permitting process.

The Hope Town District Council said it is now considering suspending all town planning and port authority-related applications until the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) shows it can process Certificates of Environmental Clearance (CEC) in a timely manner.

The move comes after the Council said it was informed that CECs are now required for all construction-related developments. This is contrary to its previous understanding that this DEPP approval was only needed for major projects, and did not apply to land-based developments and small building projects.

In a statement released yesterday, the Council said it was informed by Alexander Flowers, director of local government, during their regular monthly meeting on Monday that they should not consider any port-related or Town Planning applications without the developer first obtaining a CEC from DEPP.

It said that prior to this announcement, CEC approvals were only sought from developers looking to build near coastlines or wetlands. “Until this, the District Council had been under the impression that CEC approvals were only needed for coastal applications or persons seeking to build near wetlands or other areas that could cause an environmental impact,” the Council added.

“But today’s communication made it clear that a CEC was needed for all applications, including land-locked areas and small building projects. This is not welcome news to district councillors who serve in arguably the busiest district in the Family Islands.

“Given the sheer volume of applications that the Hope Town District Council considers on a monthly basis, councillors view this as a major roadblock and a slowdown for applicants in their district.” The Council said that on a monthly basis it deals with an average of 10 to 12 port-related applications and 18-20 Town Planning applications.

The new CEC requirements were said to have “sidelined” more than $24m in home construction applications in an area that is still recovering from the devastation inflicted by Hurricane Dorian.

Jeremy Sweeting, Hope Town’s chief councillor, said the new requirements will cause “major delays” in getting projects approved and called for the DEPP to assign an agent with a firm understanding of the area’s geographical make-up to sit in on its monthly meetings to speed-up the process.

“It is unfortunate that this added layer of bureaucracy will definitely present major delays in getting the necessary approvals for even a simple project,” said Mr Sweeting.

“The DEPP will need to assign an agent to sit in on our meetings every month to avoid a backlog in applications for our district alone. It would also be good for this agent to get a clear understanding of the geography of the various townships in our district, and to understand the layout of areas in which applications may pose any environmental concerns”

At Monday’s meeting, one Council member said he has been awaiting CEC approval for a dock for almost six months. Mr Sweeting said it was “beyond ridiculous” for the Davis administration to impose additional requirements on Family Island developments while pledging to provide “more autonomy” for local government.

He added that, with the volume of applications the Council receives, requiring a CEC for all projects would negatively impact the approval process.

Mr Sweeting said: “I don’t think Nassau is fully cognisant of how busy our district really is and how this requirement will negatively impact the Town Planning permitting process. The ‘ease of doing business’ just got harder, as it always does. It is not easy to do business in our country. It’s a sad reality.

“The Government has this campaign pledge about providing more autonomy for local government but yet, in the same breath, they are telling us that we can no longer issue a building permit for a simple structure unless it has met the approvals of a new central government agency that is situated in Nassau. They are speaking out of both sides of their mouth. It is beyond ridiculous.”

When contacted for comment about the new requirements, Mr Flowers said they will “do what they have to do” to comply with the new CEC requirements. He added that he was “not sure” if the DEPP will assign an agent to sit in on the meetings and expedite the process.

Mr Flowers said: “The DEPP has handed down certain instructions and we will do what we have to do to comply and work with what we have. We will do what we have to do to make sure the process moves along.”

Dr Rhianna Neely-Murphy, the DEPP’s director, could not be reached for comment by Tribune Business before press time.