PORT ANTONIO, Portland — The Portland Municipal Corporation says it had nothing to do with access being blocked to the popular Blue Lagoon tourist attraction in the San San area of the parish. Barriers have been erected and there is a security guard stationed there.

At last Thursday’s monthly meeting of the municipal corporation, Councillor Wayne McKenzie (People’s National Party, Prospect Division) expressed concern that access was being blocked to a parochial road. He queried whether the local authority had given approval.

“My greatest concern I have is where there is barricade across the road, security guards holding post — which means they make the parochial road inaccessible — and that is where I am asking if the council is in any form of the agreement with the action taken. Is the council aware of the blockade in terms of the iron barriers across and the stationing of security guards?” he questioned.

The corporation’s CEO, Jennifer Brown-Cunningham advised that while the local authority was involved in a general push to restructure and reopen the Blue Lagoon, they had not sanctioned the action McKenzie mentioned.

“Our understanding was always that no commercial activity would be taking place but we had the understanding that persons would have been able to traverse the place. I’m not sure what decision has been taken separate [and] apart from that,” she said, adding that there had been no request made to or granted by the corporation to block access to the road.

The CEO explained the role the corporation is playing in the ongoing rehabilitation of the facility.

The Blue Lagoon attraction was closed earlier this year for work to be done to get the facility up to an acceptable standard for those who use it. It is a popular spot but the facilities are woefully inadequate. There are plans to add restrooms and training for those who ply their wares there.

It was to reopen for Heroes’ Week in mid-October but that deadline was missed.

Chairman of the corporation and councillor for the Manchioneal Division, Paul Thompson (JLP) told the meeting that while he is concerned about the “various issues” now plaguing the location, he is confident that the general approach being taken to refurbish the facility is a sound one.

“Ultimately it’s for the improvement of the Blue Lagoon that all of us, including the tourists, can benefit from what is being done there. I don’t want anybody to feel that we are keeping anyone out from the Blue Lagoon. We are not, that is not our intention. Our intention is to improve the infrastructure that we have at the Blue Lagoon so that everybody will be happy at the end of the day. I hope that we will resume as quickly as possible,” he said in bringing the discussion to a close.

— Everard Owen