The Pye River Cemetery in Montego Bay has come in for much needed attention from the St James Parish Council, with approximately $250,000 being spent to enhance its aesthetics and ambiance.

The council’s commercial services manager, Hayden Marks, has said that beautification work – including the bushing of heavily overgrown areas – was presently underway at the location in order to create flower gardens and more green areas.

“Plans are presently afoot, also, to have the security walls and main gate repainted, consistent to the levels of roadwork now taking place on the main roadway,” he told JIS News.

“We have so far successfully solicited the participation and support from the private sector in and around Montego Bay, resulting in donations of a number of tins of paint and also cash, which would help the council in the overall sustainability of the cemetery for it to be more appealing to the general public.”

The beautification and cleaning of the facility, he said, would be an ongoing and effort, with a concentration on the construction of drains to address the problem of flooding in the cemetery.

“As a result of this unpleasant situation at the Pye River Cemetery, our superintendent of roads and works, Tubal Brown, gave estimates to the Ministry (of Local Government and Community Development) in that regard, which have since been approved,” Marks said.