Quick solution to Manse Rd. issue to be sought- Hon. Vanterpool
The previous Government - the Virgin Islands Party - had started the widening of the road known as the Paul Wattley Road from the area of the Methodist Manse to Joe’s Hill, but was unable to finish it, over what it had claimed was the disagreement of the landowner to give up a portion of his land for the road to be cut.
The land owner, Carl Dawson, has denied this and had said on one of his radio programmes that he had in fact told Government to go ahead and they would sort out compensation after.
Speaking at the Rotary Club of Road Town’s luncheon recently, Hon. Vanterpool did not get into much detail but said Government was aware of the issues surrounding the project and was “going to try to finalise a solution to the road...I know there are a couple of issues at the end of it that we are going to look into very quickly”.
Work started on October 8, 2011 in the vicinity of the Methodist Manse and proceeded to the direction of Joe’s Hill where the final stretch for blasting and excavation reportedly awaits permission from the land owner.
But according to Dawson, who was speaking on October 19, 2011, on the radio programme “In the Hot Seat”, said he stated it publiclly before that he did give permission for the land to be cut and speculated that it was probably just a ploy by government to stall the works since they don’t have money to complete the works. He also speculated that it could also be an attempt to make him look “bad” in the public’s eye.
He noted that in September of 2010, he sent a letter to Government stating that they could go ahead and cut the land and then they would talk about compensation. Dawson also said he was no fool to try to hold up such a project when he knew that Government also has the power to take the portion of land with or without his permission.
Meanwhile, the then 4th District Representative Dr. Vincent Scatliffe had stated that all the other land owners along with the residents in the area were very interested in seeing the road widened. “So there was no money that exchanged hands for properties here. The agreement was that we just cut an access road for them.”
The project for the widening of the carriageway between the Methodist Manse and Joe’s Hill, is expected to significantly reduce the traffic congestion that has plagued the area for years.
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