TWO hundred community groups islandwide are waiting to hear from the Ministry of Local Government and Environment whether their applications for project funding under the All-Island Beautification Programme have been approved.

The deadline for submission of the applications for various community projects ended last week, but members of parliament (MPs) and Local Authorities have until Friday to submit all outstanding application forms.

Ann Marie Mittoo, director of communication at the ministry, said work had already started on at least one project – the Mineral Heights roundabout in Clarendon.

She said the designs had also been completed for other projects slated to begin shortly.

“By the time the applications go through the MPs and the Local Authorities and get to us, our selection process will be far easier,” explained Mittoo.

She pointed out that the response from the MPs had been very good, in that they had been issuing the forms to the communities and seeing to it that they were completed and returned.

Asked if she foresaw any bias with the forms having to go through the MPs, Mittoo said, “If it has a bias at this level, we are not getting this feedback here, and remember that persons can apply through local authorities as well.”

The application process, she said, was heavily dependent on the community groups meeting the selected criteria. The criteria stipulate that projects must meet all three requirements, namely, they must have a wider impact, a sustainable component and the amount of funding requested must be relative to the amount of work to be done.

“There is a cap on figures depending on the size of the projects and so they will be assessed in context of impact, size and material that is necessary,” she told the Observer.

The proposed projects received to date include beautification of community parks, roundabouts, median strips and removal of derelict vehicles. For those projects which include the cleaning of drains, she explained that they have to be directly related to a beautification project.

“It can’t be an isolated drain that you want to clean. It must be related to a broader project and must have a sustainable component which means that after this project is done they should be able to show how it will be sustained,” she said.

Pointing to the Mineral Heights project, which will be sustained by Juici Patties, Mittoo said the suggestion has been made to all applicants to have civil society and the private sector buy into the project so as to help with sustainability.

“Mineral Heights roundabout has the integral involvement of Juici Patties, and of course the sustainability is that this corporate group will help to maintain that particular area in addition to the local authority which is the Clarendon Parish Council,” Mittoo said.

Under the All-Island Beautification Project, the gateways to the cities will also be beautified with funding from the Tourism Enhancement Fund.