WESTERN BUREAU — Managing director at Maddens Funeral Home, Reuel Madden said his company will, next week, submit drawings to the Hanover Parish Council seeking approval to renovate an existing building in Lucea for use as a funeral home.

Work on the building came to a halt last week after the council served Maddens with a stop order, citing a breach of the Hanover Parish Council’s Building Act.

But Madden told the Observer that he was not aware that approval was needed from the council to carry out the work.

“I am not constructing a building, there is already an existing building,” Madden explained. “In view of that, I saw the need to make some little extension of the building and I wasn’t aware that I needed to submit plans to the council for an extension.”

He said work on the building, which he purchased earlier this year, involved the addition of a verandah and porch to the existing structure.

According to Madden, he immediately stopped working on the structure after he received the notice from the council, which gave him 28 days to submit the plans.

“I am presently working on the plans and I intended to submit it within another week,” he told the Observer on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) representative for Lucea, Audley Gilpin, issued a statement pointing out that Maddens was establishing a funeral home in a residential suburb of Lucea without approval from the Hanover Parish Council.

Gilpin added that the development was illegal and called on the council to put a stop to the construction.

But Madden denied that the building was located in a residential area and was quick to point out that he was willing to abide by the law.

Lloyd Hill, the council’s chairman on Thursday confirmed that the building was not located in a residential area, but said that the stop order was served on Madden in an effort to have him conform to “standard procedures”.

He added that the council did not have a problem with the building being used as a funeral parlour providing that all the requirements were fulfilled.

Lucea’s capital, Hanover, does not currently have a funeral home.

Madden said the prospect of doing business in the parish appears to be good and he is looking forward to beginning operation by year-end.

He said that he is aware however, that there are some people in the town who are opposed to his move to establish a funeral parlour there.

“I expected opposition but how far they are going to carry it I don’t know,” he said. “A number of existing funeral homes faced strong opposition when they were being established and now they are fully established and up and running,” he added.

According to Madden, area residents usually resist the setting up of funeral homes because of superstition.

“There are some people who would say ‘lawd God a pure duppy mi a go si now a night time’. That argument is just based on superstition,” Madden said.

“Other residents have also expressed fear about health concerns, but I know that it is the ‘duppy’ thing and not about health matters they are concerned about,” he added.

Madden said he would continue to have dialogue with area residents in a bid to put their fears to rest.