–for residents of upmarket GuySuCo Housing Scheme

By Gabriella Chapman

A PORTION of land in upmarket GuySuCo Housing Scheme that has been set aside for the construction of a community playing field is fast becoming an eyesore and habitat for stray animals and other vermin.

As things stand, concerned residents of this lower East Coast neighbourhood are wondering who is responsible for the maintenance of the plot of land at reference, and what has become of the promised playing field.

“Since I moved here last year I asked an older resident what this piece of land is for and his response was, ‘Last thing I heard about that land was that it was being left for a play field to be constructed for the families in here.’
“But since I’m here, I haven’t seen any work to that effect being done,” one resident told this newspaper.

What is even more cause for concern to residents is that the build-up of vegetation will eventually encourage the dumping of garbage, which will in turn result in the creation of a home for stray animals and other pests. Some even fear it may be used by criminal elements as a hideout.

“I am very much concerned about this land, because sometimes my daughter walk in at nights from classes, and having to pass a plot of bush is not safe at all,” said another resident.

Sometime last year, the plot of land was cleared of the undergrowth, but since then, nothing else has been done.
As such, residents are calling on the relevant authorities to address the issue of the bushes and the promised playing field that never materialised.

HISTORY
The GuySuCo Housing Scheme is bordered on the west by the CARICOM Secretariat, on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, the south by the Cyril Potter College of Education, and the east by the community of Cummings Lodge.

It has a soiled history, in that since it was originally put forward by UG lecturers as the site where there would be a housing scheme for academics that had served the institution for ten years and more and were still on the staff.
Then it became a prime real estate that was donated by GuySuCo to its senior staff through a Cabinet decision in 1994.