LUCEA, Hanover – MEMBER of Parliament for Western Hanover Ian Hayles has bemoaned the slow pace at which the local authority and other government agencies are moving in getting developmental projects for the north-western town of Lucea off the ground.

“It pains my heart at times when I go to Wykeham McNeill [tourism and entertainment minister], and my last meeting with Minister McNeill was around five weeks ago where I visited his office with different stakeholders within TEF [Tourism Enhancement Fund]. And it is not a matter of not wanting to spend the money in Hanover or in Lucea in particular. It is a matter of bottlenecks, red tape and at times how late the estimates come to them in terms of if the request is from the parish council or if they request it from the NWA [National Works Agency] or any other source,” a seemingly disappointed Hayles remarked.

“I really think that we will have to take a good look at Hanover in terms of how best we can develop the parish,” he added.

Hayles, who is also junior minister in the water, land, environment and climate change ministry, was speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting at the Hanover Parish Council Municipal building last week.

The meeting, which was attended by several stakeholders including Dennis Hickey, the executive director of the Tourism Product Development Company [TPDCo], was held under the theme: ‘Our mission is to facilitate sustainable economic growth and social development for the residents of and visitors to Hanover’.

Citing examples of the tardiness in implementing projects in Hanover, Hayles pointed to the Bulls Bay Beach in the community of Bulls Bay, where $10 million was approved to develop the beach three years ago, but the project is yet to get off the ground.

“The [Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme] secretariat said to me up to last week, ‘Look, you are going to lose the $10 million, because we just can’t get a letter for three years now to say who owns Bulls Bay Beach’,” Hayles said.

During the meeting, much disappointment was also expressed over the long-awaited road improvement project for the thoroughfare leading from the Riley River into the town of Lucea. When completed, the planned project, which is to be funded by TEF and undertaken by the NWA, is expected to mitigate the flooding of that roadway during high sea tide and heavy rain.

The need for the development of the historic Fort Charlotte into a tourist attraction, a zinc fence removal project for Lucea, the development of a fishing village, as well as the development of Watson Taylor Park into a mini- stadium, were also discussed.

Lucea, the Hanover’s capital, sits on a beautiful harbour 25 miles west of Montego Bay and is located between that city and Negril – two of the Caribbean’s most renowned tourist resort areas. Yet for many years, talks to devise strategies on how to capitalise on the thousands of tourists who pass through the town annually have failed to bear fruit.

Meanwhile, Hayles told the stakeholders’ meeting that a number of solar lights are to be installed at several locations across that parish.

The TEF, he said, will fund the project, which is expected to be completed in November at a cost of $12 million.

According to the MP, the lights are to be installed in the vicinity of the Grand Palladium Hotel, east of Lucea, and between Orange Bay and Negril.

“When you pass by Grand Palladium coming on into Lucea, that area is very dark at nights, as well as the corridor between Orange Bay and Negril, so we are going to put solar lights on the entire stretch from RIU Hotel in Negril all the way into Orange Bay and from Grand Palladium to the town of Lucea, all solar lights on both sides,” he explained.