PORT ANTONIO, Portland — A court case over access to the iconic Blue Lagoon will continue on January 29, 2024 after getting under way in the Portland Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

The lawsuit was brought by Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement (JaBBEM) and Portland Environmental Action (PEA). Attorney Marcus Goffe appeared on their behalf.

“Our main focus is to have the Blue Hole road reopened because that’s the public entrance to the Blue Lagoon that is a national monument. We do not want to continue to walk across private land,” PEA spokesman Wilbourn Carr told the Jamaica Observer Monday afternoon.

The defendants in the case include the Portland Municipal Corporation, Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT), as well as special interest beach-front property owners Blue Lagoon (Jamaica) Limited, Blue Hole Investments Limited, Blue Hole Holdings Limited, and Cold Harbour Limited.

“The parish council [municipal corporation] said that initially they had given permission for the road to be closed for three months. Since then they have rescinded that closure and the road continues to be closed, blocked [with a] barrier and, most recently, there is building material all over the public road,” said Carr.

“We know that the Jamaica National Heritage Trust has signed a three-year agreement for accommodation [which consists of access to Blue Lagoon by walking across private land]. What happens at the end of the three years? If the Blue Hole road is reopened there will be no variation to public access regardless of what happens. That is why we went to court, that is our main focus.

“There are other issues but the access road is our main focus right now; the reopening of the Blue Hole Road. Portlanders and visitors don’t want to walk across private property because they can lock down the private entrance anytime. What happens after that?” Carr asked.