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Gov’t to clamp down on illegal use of Crown land

- as Government seeks to have greater accountability of how land belonging to the Crown is used
Government will be will be moving to have greater accountability of how Crown land is used by those who it has been leased to for farming purposes. Photo: VINO/File
Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr The Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has said persons who have established illegal developments on agriculture lands belonging to the Crown will face the consequences. Photo: VINO/File
Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr The Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has said persons who have established illegal developments on agriculture lands belonging to the Crown will face the consequences. Photo: VINO/File
The agriculture and fisheries stakeholders meeting held on Thursday August 15, 2019 at the Breezeway of the Central Administration Complex on Wickham’s Cay I, Tortola. Photo: Facebook
The agriculture and fisheries stakeholders meeting held on Thursday August 15, 2019 at the Breezeway of the Central Administration Complex on Wickham’s Cay I, Tortola. Photo: Facebook
WICKHAM’S CAY I, Tortola, VI- Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr The Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has said Government will be moving to have greater accountability of how Crown lands are used.

Speaking at a meeting for farmers and fishermen at Breezeway at Central Administration Complex on August 15, 2019, Hon Wheatley said while the issue may be controversial for some it is not for him at all as Crown lands do not belong to any individual.

“I have to say that very clearly, that land is not any individual’s land, that’s the government’s land that has been allocated to different farmers for agricultural purposes and the type of accountability that we need to have with the use of the land has not been there.”

Emphasising that Government will be establishing some levels of accountability of how Crown land is used by those who it has been leased to for farming purposes, Hon Wheatley said such land is for residential purposes, “but the land at Paraquita Bay and any other land that we designate for agricultural purposes is not for residential use.”

He said that for persons who have established illegal developments on agriculture lands belonging to the Crown will face the consequences. “I will say very clearly that anybody who even has the intention of going to Paraquita Bay to construct any illegal development, do not do it because you will waste your investment, you will waste your money.”

Noting that this is something his ministry will be very strict on, Hon Wheatley said that there will be other conditions for the use of any area designated for agricultural purposes.

5 Responses to “Gov’t to clamp down on illegal use of Crown land”

  • watcher (19/08/2019, 16:52) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
    its about time
  • biker (19/08/2019, 21:20) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    Please inform us in the next news article on this subject what are the consequences for those guilty of illegal development on crown land.
    • True (20/08/2019, 16:16) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      They should knock it all down then charge them for the cost of removing there buildings
  • Crown land Ministerial procedures (20/08/2019, 13:11) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    First sell crown land to your brother (unpaid), approve a national bank mortgage (unpaid) and rent the building/facility back to government.
  • True (20/08/2019, 16:15) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    So does this mean the business on Anegada which has been constantly built and is still growing and taking more crown land going to be knocked down? They do not hold a Trade License or Liquor license yet the Police and the rest of the Gov let them operate without any bother and the POLICE PARKED IN THERE most nights drinking.???


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