A breakaway on the Upton Road in St Ann that has left residents marooned since last October has earned the ire of their local government representative.

Councillor Ian Bell (People’s National Party, Beecher Town Division) expressed his annoyance at the length of time it is taking to repair the breakaway during Thursday’s monthly meeting of the St Ann Municipal Corporation (SAMC).

“It is a shame and embarrassment when I look at what is happening at Upton Road in the Beecher Town Division. The people have been marooned from October last year,” he said

Residents of Top Upton have been not been able to comfortably access their homes since the incident.

The minutes of the last SAMC meeting indicated that approximately $40 million is needed for remedial work and that the corporation had applied to the local government ministry for $2.566 million from the Special Grant Fund for remedial work.

At the time, chairman of the corporation, Mayor of St Ann’s Bay Michael Belnavis, based on what was stated in the minutes, advised councillors that that he was not in the position to provide any funds to do the work.

However, on Thursday Bell said that Belnavis had announced, on a public platform, that he had given Bell $3 million to start work in the area.

“Why you go on interview and tell them that you gave me money and all now I don’t get not even a shovel from this municipal corporation to help clear up a debris?” Bell asked.

“I need some answers today to go back and give the people in Top Upton. The people are suffering and it is not fair to them,” he added

In response, Belnavis said he shares the councillor’s concern.

“I went up there and I saw the situation and I made a verbal promise to the people that I would get them some assistance. So we have to move to help to alleviate what is going on to even get the road to a point of accessibility,” said Belnavis.