No approval given to Mae’s Schools to barricade public ground – CoI hears

Amidst an outcry by residents of Subryanville, Georgetown because a portion of the Farnum Community Ground, which is for public use, has been barricaded and used by the Mae’s Schools for private activities, it has been revealed at the Commission of Inquiry that no approval in this regard has been given to the school by the City Engineer’s Department of the City Council.
This was the position shared by the City Engineer Colvern Venture, who explained that the community ground is for public use, and actions were taken to have the fence erected by Mae’s Schools removed.
“There (was) no approval given to [construct] any fence. That’s an open space, and no approval was given by my department to have a fence erected. As such, we would have moved to have that fence demolished,” said the City Engineer.
He added that he cannot recall seeing any application for a fence. “It’s considered a public open space which is basically used as a recreational facility for the community,” he explained.
From the information provided by Venture, it was indicated that he was aware that the institution was using a section of the ground for “recreational activities.” “It would have divided the ground east and west. I think the intention was to utilise the portion that is on the east…to be used by the school. They were using a section of the ground over the years for recreational activities there,” Venture explained.
Subryanville resident Damian Fernandes told the Commission earlier this month that one-third of the public football field was cordoned off with a 12-foot fence erected by the school’s administration, and that portion is being used for students only.
Adding to that, waste materials generated from construction work done on the school building, including pieces of board and large chunks of cement, were dumped on this playground.
“If you check, you will see that the metal rods are still sticking out of the ground. The form boards that were used to cast the base were thrown with nails, and you can see the nails sticking up; and that’s how it is left for many months. The construction crew from the school (has been) dumping builder’s waste on the ground,” Fernandes told the commission.
Residents of the community also accused the schools’ administration of padlocking the gates of the ground.
The concerned Fernandes, along with other members of the community, would have shared his concerns, since all the aggrieved residents feel it is a “full time-job” to handle these issues.
Presently, it is very difficult to weed the vegetation, since machinery is being damaged by materials that were dumped on the ground, and the ground was recently resurfaced to the tune of $2.7 million, the commission heard.
The commission also heard that the schools’ administration had submitted an application to City Hall in regard to constructing a school on the ground. However, this application was denied.