PORTSEA, St Elizabeth — The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has refused an application for an environmental permit by telecommunications company Flow for a cell tower here.

Word of NEPA’s rejection of the application followed a demonstration by residents of Portsea, north of Junction in south-eastern St Elizabeth, over the erection of the cell tower that is almost complete.

Gregory Bennett, director of NEPA’s management application division, told the Jamaica Observer that the environmental permit was refused based on objections from residents and the design of the tower.

“The status of that cell tower is that it has been refused [application]… It was refused, because the proposal was not in accordance with the telecommunications guidelines in terms of the design as well as there were concerns, petitions [and] objections that were raised by stakeholders,” he said.

“In the review of a planning application the feedback from citizens is [taken into] consideration in making a decision on an application,” he said while on a conference call with head of NEPA Peter Knight and the Observer.

Bennett’s comments came hours after placard-bearing protesters, wearing what appeared to be hazmat suits, mounted a roadblock in the community over the erection of the cell tower on Thursday morning.

Flow, in a statement late Thursday, said it is concerned about the protest.

“Construction of the cell tower commenced at Melksham in Portsea, after permission was granted by the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation on November 2, 2022. Subsequently, we recently received a stop order from the municipal corporation, while the construction of the tower was being completed. We are in discussions with the CEO of the municipal corporation to address the concerns. No further work will be done at the site while we work towards a resolution. Our commitment to delivering excellent mobile service to Melksham and its environs remains unchanged as we seek to deliver on the Government’s mandate to improve the reach of mobile broadband across the island,” the statement read in part.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she is concerned about the proximity of the tower to her home and any risks associated with a tower being in the community.

Councillor Layton Smith (People’s National Party, Myersville Division) said the protest could have been avoided if there was better communication between State agencies and residents over the permits for the construction of the cell site.

“The agencies have a fault,” Smith said.

Smith claimed that the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation had granted a building permit to Flow, but due to poor communication within the municipality, two senior officials acted contrary to each other as a stop order was issued unknowingly to the other.

“Up to Wednesday, it was discussed for over two and half hours. The application came to the parish council from about June or somewhere there about. It was sent to NEPA… They [Flow] have an approval from parish council,” he said.

Smith said the breakdown of communication has resulted in confusion.

“You don’t know what is really true. The tower done install already, it is only the electrical work left for them to do right now, so I don’t know what is going to happen,” said Smith.

Efforts to get a response from senior officials at the municipality were unsuccessful up to late Thursday.

Bennett said following NEPA’s decision the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation would have to be advised.

“…Before a building application is approved, the Town and Country Planning Authority [TPCA] and the National Resources Conservation Authority [NRCA] must make a determination on the application first, so at this point in time the application was referred to the NRCA, TPCA and the decision to refuse the application was done,” he said.

“The following steps are that we will communicate same to the applicant and to the municipal corporation for them to make a determination on the building application,” he added.

When asked if Bennett’s comment suggested that there was a breakdown of communication between NEPA and the municipality, Knight pointed out that the refusal of Flow’s application was made at a meeting on December 20, 2022.

“… It takes some time to prepare the paperwork to send back [to the municipality] and the holidays intervened, so my understanding from the director and his team is that [the] documentation will be out by Monday,” he said.

“The representatives in the municipal corporation were told verbally that it [application] was refused… It is for the municipal corporation to ensure that no building approval is given and if a building commences that they are to put a stop to it,” added Knight.

“The decision taken by the NRCA and the TPCA can be appealed, so Flow has the right to appeal the decision…,” said Knight.