Parish Councils Pursuing Sustainable Development Plans

Local authorities have been actively pursuing the establishment of Sustainable Development Plans for their respective parishes.
“The Clarendon Parish Council has completed its 2002 to 2015 Sustainable Development Plan which will be published in 2006/2007. The St. Thomas Parish Council has a draft Sustainable Development Plan,” informed a Ministry of Local Government and Environment Performance Report for 2006/2007, which was recently tabled in the House of Representatives.
The creation of a Sustainable Development Plan is among a number of activities planned for the current fiscal year. Other plans for the local authorities include the creation of notice boards, and the improvement of parochial infrastructure such as roads and drains.
According to the Performance Report local authorities will be “increasing revenue from commercial services”, and will also “install sanitary conveniences in town areas”. The document also said that among the plans for the period, local authorities will be “improving compliance with building regulations and the building and sub-division application process”.
Meanwhile, in the last financial year local authorities took steps to improve traffic management in urban areas, while the Clarendon and St. Elizabeth Parish Councils completed transportation centres in Spaldings and Junction respectively.
“Despite these initiatives, the Councils encountered difficulties with taxi operators who refused to utilise the facilities provided. Hanover Parish Council installed street and traffic signs in the urban areas of New Town and Lucea, while the Clarendon Parish Council completed its street sign programme,” the report stated.
The local authorities have also sought to introduce measures to limit the presence of stray animals within the town centres. “The St. Elizabeth Parish Council completed the construction of a pound at Myersville. The Council is now in the process of identifying a company or individual to operate the facility,” said the report.
Local authorities sited the lack of adequate funding to meet client demand for services, limited human resources, untimely feedback from agencies involved in development approval process and in some instances unsuitable administrative offices, as the challenges encountered during 2005/2006.