THE revetment of the Sussex Street Canal, the installation of 50 LED lights, and the upgrading of the St. Stephen’s Ground, are some of the major plans being pursued in Constituency 10, which comprises the Albouystown and Charlestown communities.
The two constituency councillors, Heston Bostwick and David Allicock, spoke with the Guyana Chronicle on the sidelines of the recently held statutory meeting at City Hall, regarding current works which they hope to be completed in the near future.

From north to south, the boundaries of the constituency are from Princes Street to Independence Boulevard; in the east, St. Stephen’s Street and Callender Street, and in the west, the Demerara River.

Currently, desilting (removal of materials such as sand and mud from the bed of a flowing canal) works are being undertaken in the communities with assistance from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).

There are 54 bridges across the Sussex Street Canal, of which 18 are council’s responsibility. The 18 bridges are across the 18 streets that run north to south from Callender to Saffon Streets. “Our observation is that… because there is a build-up of silt under those bridges, we find the drains are overtopping,” Councillor Bostwick pointed out.
He is hoping that the authorities will look into putting back the koker that once existed at the corner of Sussex and St. Stephen’s Streets. This, he observed, would significantly aid the receding of water when flooding occurs in Albouystown.

DEVELOPMENTAL WORKS

Regarding the St. Stephen’s Ground that was mainly used by the youths in the constituency, Councillor Allicock informed that the intention is to be able to tap into the ‘renovation fund’ of the Department of Youth to facilitate the upgrading of that ground and also, for the construction of an administrative building there so that the facility can benefit from caretaking services.

“It is the largest play area within constituency 10. We would like to have it reconstituted to the point where the residents can make full use of it. It has not just play and exercise value, but aesthetic value,” Allicock expressed.

He further informed that the constituency’s councillors have applied, and were given permission for the installation of 50 LED lights across the constituency where they are needed most. He is hoping that the project will be able to kick off by this year’s third quarter.

All of the paperwork has been completed for this project, and contractors have already been identified to do the job. A final approval from the Ministry of Communities is all that is being awaited.

SUSSEX STREET CANAL REVETMENT

Councillor Bostwick said he feels the revetment of the Sussex and St. Stephen’s Streets canals are of utmost importance at this time. “This, I feel is priority. The roads have no shoulders and they pose a serious hazard. I would be very grateful for it to be done for the sake of the residents and for the health of the community,” Bostwick expressed.
He explained how the canal from the cemetery to the Sussex Street canal is just a few yards apart. “Now that you’re experiencing erosion to some parts, you might very well find that the water from the cemetery would be mixing, and that’s what we don’t want because that can lead to cholera and all sorts of things.”

Councillor Allicock observed that while no funds have been allocated to this project, they did manage to enlist a promise from the subject minister that the work will be completed before the end of this calendar year.

“It is in very bad shape. The fact that the road has now merged with the canal and there are no shoulders as a result of that, has yielded a very dangerous effort for motorists and pedestrians because they are all competing for the same space, and it is only a matter of time before, god forbids, something happens. Very shortly, we will have to look at closing that road off until such repairs are initiated,” Allicock stated.