By Stabroek News

Copyright stabroeknews

The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of Georgetown is set to meet today with sub-committee members to address the status of construction works by Mae’s Schools at the eastern end of the Farnum Playing Field.

The meeting will focus on the reported withdrawal of all permissions that had previously been granted to the school for the project. Residents of Subryanville yesterday met with Mayor of Georgetown Alfred Mentore, City Engineer, Colvern Venture, Councillors Steven Jacobs and Rudolph Dyal.

Residents have expressed strong opposition to the “temporary” work that is currently under way.

Mayor Mentore clarified that permission was only granted for tents to be placed on the field to temporarily facilitate the students for one year. He added that the one-year permission did not cater for the new developments on the field which encompass a prefabricated building. The students were to be facilitated on the field while the construction of the main school building is ongoing.

Venture stated that no permission was granted for the erection of the prefabricated building and that he was only aware of temporary permission granted for tents to be placed on the field to facilitate the learners.

According to property owner David Sugrim, the prefabricated structure currently under construction is being designed as a two-storey building, with the first level already nearing completion. When asked whether he was prepared to remove the structure immediately from the property, Sugrim declined to give a definitive response.

Residents issued a strong call for the cessation of construction on the ground. Mentore in response said a meeting would be convened today to make a decision on same. Residents further contended that the prefabricated building being put together is accompanied by a septic tank. Further, the drains surrounding the field are polluted with the waste from the prefabricated structure.

The residents highlighted that the field is the only green space available to the community and it should not be abused by a privately owned business. Further, they said that Sugrim is a private business owner and should therefore find somewhere suitable to facilitate his development.

Mentore when asked by this newspaper about the motive behind the permission granted initially for temporary use of the field, explained that many students were displaced at the time as a result of the fire earlier this year which gutted the school. He said that while it was initially suggested that the owner explore other alternatives including the American School, those were unsuccessful. In an effort to facilitate the learners, temporary permission was granted to use the field with tents. Mentore added that permission was only granted because of the fire tragedy and displacement of the students. Stabroek News then asked Mentore whether Sugrim was paying for the use of the ground and he responded in the negative and added that it was just a gesture to facilitate the learners because of the tragedy and no lease agreement was signed.

Mentore, Dyal and Jacobs apologized to residents since no prior consultation was done before permission was granted for the temporary tents to be placed on the field.

A group of Subryanville residents had written to the M&CC demanding the immediate withdrawal of all permissions reportedly granted to Mae’s Schools for construction works at the eastern end of the Farnum Playing Field.

In a letter addressed to Mentore and copied to Stabroek News, the residents called for an urgent cease and desist order and the rescinding of “any and/or all permits issued by the Mayor and City Council, Georgetown, for any construction and/or assemblage at the eastern end of Farnum Playing Field.”

The residents questioned whether any permits had in fact been granted by the council and requested access to a copy of such a document. They also complained that no consultations were held with the community prior to the commencement of works.

According to the letter, assurances were given in 2018 by both the then Ministry of Communi-ties and the M&CC that exclusive rights over the eastern section of the field would not be granted to Mae’s Schools, following similar objections raised at that time. “It is quite astonishing that an alleged permit was issued to Mae’s Schools by the current Mayor and Councillors,” the residents wrote.

Their demands include the immediate halting of the works, removal of all building materials from the field, and cancellation of any permits or permissions already issued. They warned that failure to comply would result in legal action.\

The Farnum Playing Field has long served as a recreational space for the community. Residents argue that any move to privatise or restrict access undermines its role as a public facility.

The Mae’s Schools main building was destroyed by fire on March 5th this year and the owners of the school had signalled that a prefabricated building would be put in place until a new school is built.