Stumbling block

THE operation of Barbados’ newest entrant on the local cement market, Rock Hard Cement Ltd., is facing a major stumbling block for non-compliance with Town & Country Planning regulations.

 

During the recently debated no-confidence motion, Opposition Leader Mia Mottley charged that the company is operating without planning permission and queried whether an enforcement notice was issued by the Town & Country Planning Department Office to stop activity at the Spring Garden site.

 

The Barbados Advocate has been reliably informed that in addition to not being granted building permission, an enforcement notice and a stop notice were issued to the company in November 2015. Furthermore, the TCPDO has referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions to halt the nuisance created by the unauthorised work.

 

Concerns have been expressed that the company, which initially secured a lease from the Barbados Port Inc. for one lot, has secured a lease for an additional lot for its operations. Neither lot has been given building permission from the TCPDO, even though a large concrete frame is currently being erected on the latter. An enforcement notice was issued last week on the second site by officials of the TCPDO.

 

The Barbados Advocate also understands that as part of the processing of this application, an Environmental Scoping Study was requested. The scoping study will determine what are the environmental nuisances and how they would be mitigated. Whenever a request is made for an Environmental Scoping Study a public meeting is required to discuss the document, which must be made available to the public for at least 28 days prior to the meeting. The feedback from that meeting is taken into the decision-making process.

 

Rock Hard Cement, though offering competitive prices on the local market since opening its doors last year, has been at the centre of much contention because of the public health nuisance which it allegedly poses. The then Business Development and Project Consultant Dwight Sutherland gave the assurance that such a facility would not have an impact on the environment. However, residents of the neighbouring Brighton and Brandons area as well as other concerned citizens have openly denounced such a facility being constructed virtually in their backyard.

 

A number of officers of the nearby Barbados Coast Guard and workers at the ADM Flour Mill are reportedly being afflicted by respiratory problems as a result of an increase in “dust” coming onto their compound from the neighbouring site. Others contend that placing a cement plant next to a flour mill is literally a recipe for disaster. There are also concerns about the potential impact that cement dust would have on marine life a few meters away from the operation. (JH)