FALMOUTH, Trelawny — The Trelawny Municipal Corporation (TMC) is raising alarm over a growing number of structures, including churches, being constructed across the parish without the required building permits.

On the sidelines of Thursday’s regular monthly meeting, chairman and mayor of Falmouth C Junior Gager revealed that one place of worship is already facing legal action for building without the necessary approvals.

“We also have these challenges, too, with some churches that have built and did extensions and have not sought permit from the municipal corporation. But one of the churches, the necessary notices were served and we sent off to our attorney,” the mayor told reporters.

The TMC’s technical team is reportedly overwhelmed by the scale of non-compliance, as unauthorised construction continues to spread rapidly across the parish.

“We have quite a major issue with compliance. We have to be taking some to court. Any day our technical team can go out there and they can serve 20 notices on people who won’t comply,” Gager said.

Chief engineering officer of the TMC’s Roads and Works Department Kayon Hall confirmed that his team is working assiduously to curb unlawful development by stepping up enforcement.

“We [are] trying our best to curtail the illegal activity throughout the parish by enforcement and serving the necessary notices,” he told reporters.

During Thursday’s meeting, Mayor Gager emphasised the importance of structural safety, particularly as the hurricane season approaches. He pointed out that unauthorised buildings, including places of worship, also pose a risk.

“Persons building their private homes, churches going up, you must abide by the rules of the land and submit, and pay your building fees. We want to make sure that your buildings are safe. We are in this hurricane season so I would ask that anybody that is listening, whether it’s church, whether it’s a local person, whether it’s your building that you are living in, or worshipping in, make sure it’s an approved building, a building that we can say is safe and it will be able to withstand any hurricane that comes here,” Gager urged.

“We don’t want you to be worshipping with, for example, 110 members and then we hear the sad news that the building wasn’t strong and [collapsed]. Afterwards you are going to hear that the municipal corporation did not do their part because they did not monitor and see that there was no steel in the building, for example. So I ask you, just abide by the rules and make sure that we remain safe this hurricane season,” the mayor added.

Gager also noted that the parish is prepared for the hurricane season.

“There is no councillor that can give an excuse that they did not have enough funding to take care of the drains within their area. This is Disaster Month, this is hurricane season and we have to make sure that all the drains in the flood-prone areas are in good working condition and every shelter in every district is up,” he said.

“Those who are living in flood-prone areas, we ask that you move out before flooding starts. And if your house isn’t in the proper condition, we ask that you seek shelter elsewhere,” he appealed.