Residents of Bon Accord are still struggling to rebuild their homes after their lands were compulsorily acquired by the central government to make way for the construction of the new airport terminal. Chief Secretary Farley Augustine says he understands the pain and is trying to mitigate some of their challenges by changing the payment requirements for housing plots on Shirvan Estate.
Additionally, the cost of land would be reduced to $15 per square foot. Previously it was $45 per square foot. When asked if the price reduction would apply to other residents who previously paid for their lots, the Chief Secretary could not provide a definite response.
However, Augustine explained that he is unable to do so based on the arrangements set up under the previous THA administration. Despite this, he promised an adjusted land-use policy to be implemented by next week. While the residents were pleased by the announcement, there are still some outstanding concerns.
Augustine assured that under the new land-use policy, all residents would be granted lease documents to take to financial institutions for mortgages to begin their construction. Meanwhile, Walton Lovell explained that there are still some other challenges in acquiring the connections from T&TEC and WASA.
