Police Station to Be Built At Longville, Clarendon

Thousands of residents living in the sprawling housing development of Longville Park, Clarendon, are set to benefit from the construction of a 50-man police station in their community.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, said the National Housing Trust (NHT), has provided $50 million for the construction of the station by December 2013.  The station will initially house 25 police personnel, but will be built to accommodate 50 and will be located in Phase II of the scheme.

Mrs. Simpson Miller was addressing the handing over ceremony of Longville Park Phase III housing development to beneficiaries, on February 20.

The Prime Minister, under whose portfolio the NHT falls, stated that the agency is committed to “planned development and creating fully functional integrated communities across the country,” hence its investment.  She revealed that the total development cost for Longville Phase III is $4.8 billion, of which $3.5 billion was spent on construction.

“To service the greater Longville Park development, the NHT has invested significant sums in infrastructure, which serves not only Longville but the surrounding communities,” she said.

Mrs. Simpson Miller outlined that the agency has spent $580 millionto provide a water supply system for the greater Longville area from a well located at New Bowens. The well has the capacity to bring approximately 13,640 cubic metres of water per day over a distance of 16 kilometres to Longville.

The Prime Minister also informed  that the NHT spent another $90 millionto construct a bridge on the Salt River Road, to allow unimpeded access to Longville and areas of southeast Clarendon, when the gully is flooded.

She noted that as part of construction plans for Phase IV of the site’s development, the NHT will build an alternative access road to Longville Park from Salt River.

Longville Park is the largest NHT scheme in Clarendon. The agency has  completed three of six phases of development with over 3,200 housing solutions so far. According to the NHT, the development will have over 5,300 solutions when all six phases are completed.

In the meantime, NHT Chairman, Easton Douglas, said the scheme also has reserved lots for the construction of churches, a school, commercial areas and other future developments. He revealed that at least one traditional church has already expressed interest in acquiring a lot.

Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, Dr. Morais Guy, in congratulating the 882 beneficiaries of Longville Park Phase III, noted that the provision of housing solutions ranks high on the agenda of the Government.

He stated that one of the imperatives of his Ministry is a thrust to drive the cost of housing down to the point where people at the lower end of the socio economic ladder will be able to buy a house and comfortably service a mortgage.