…says they were constructed without permission

A TEAM from the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) swooped down Wednesday on the plot of land that Teleperformance has made into a parking lot for its employees and broke down its gates, along with the elevation of the pavement, which leads to the entrances.

The M&CC claimed that since November of last year, when Teleperformance was in the process of fencing the land, the Council advised the company that it would first need to apply for the requisite permission to continue with the project.

Public Relations Officer of M&CC, Debra Lewis, who was on site, said there are no records of Teleperformance ever sending its application. The team, headed by Superintendent of Works in the City Engineer’s Department, Eartley King, therefore had no choice but to turn up and dismantle the structures at the corners of Church and Camp Streets.

Incidentally, Teleperformance had also elevated the pavement in front of its office at 51 Camp and Robb Streets, Lacytown, but had been granted permission by the Council to do so. One major concern, King highlighted, was the fact that elevating just one portion of the pavement could prove disastrous to persons who are visually impaired and who would have become accustomed to walking on the pavement for years without the elevation.

Hence, in this case, the company would have needed to elevate the entire pavement in front of the parking lot. Lewis also chipped in that the M&CC has to be sensitive to the needs of the differently-abled community. Explaining the reason for the exercise, Lewis told the Guyana Chronicle that, “The land belongs to them, but if you are going to make a parking lot, you ought to ask permission from council; even if you want to paint your house, add to your house, take off a part, extend it, you need to apply to the council so that you can have the requisite technical advice and benefit from the competencies of the Engineer’s Department.”

Lewis said a similar exercise was carried out on Tuesday in Subryanville, opposite the Mae’s School, and that even more are on the cards to be executed.

“It’s not that we’re stepping on anybody’s toe, but law is law and order is order. And for a long time we have been in a state of chaos, where persons have been doing whatever they like when it comes to the council’s thoroughfares and spaces. The Council has decided to repossess all city spaces and thoroughfares; and if you know that you have built without permission, we have been asking that you come in and talk to us. Don’t let us have to come to this position,” she expressed.

The Guyana Chronicle visited and telephoned Teleperformance, but was still unable to secure a response from the company. A staff member, who was on site, did say that he doubted the company had received any warning about the exercise.