Residents Occupying Easington Lands in St. Thomas to Receive Titles

The St. Thomas Municipal Corporation will be formalising the settlement of residents, who currently occupy the Easington lands in the parish.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Corporation, Kevin McIndoe, made the disclosure during a town hall at the Easington Primary School on Thursday (Jan. 15).

He informed that the Corporation will begin subdividing the 100-acre property this year, with a view to its eventual disposal.

As part of the process, the Municipal Corporation intends to regularise persons already on the property by providing them with an opportunity to obtain legal land titles.

The objective, Mr. McIndoe said, is to bring order and structure to land occupancy in the area, while creating a pathway for eligible residents to gain legal ownership of the lands they currently occupy.

“We are in a process of disposing of the property, but of course, you are important stakeholders; you are already on it,” he told the residents.

“We are here to engage you to say to you that we will be considering you in the decisions that we will be making,” he added.

The CEO explained that the regularisation programme will strictly apply to individuals currently residing on the property to protect long-standing occupants and ensure fairness.

Persons not on the land, and interested in purchasing a lot, will be required to apply through established channels in keeping with existing regulations and procedures.

Mr. McIndoe said that the regularisation programme will provide flexible payment options, including structured payment plans, to make ownership more accessible.

“Each person will have a unique situation. Some persons might be able to purchase now, some persons may [make] a payment plan arrangement,” he pointed out.

Mr. McIndoe noted the cost of individual parcels has not yet been determined. “I can’t tell you what the price is. We will have to get the parcel that you are on valued to know what the value is,” he told the residents.

Mr. McIndoe informed that personnel from the Corporation will contact the current occupants to “determine your interest in acquiring the parcel of land that you are on, and we will work out the finer details of how we will accommodate you on this property going forward.”

He noted that further details, including timelines and application requirements, will be communicated as the planning phase advances.

“If you have any concerns and any questions, I’m inviting you to share it so that we can take it into account,” he advised.

Mr. McIndoe said that the “general stance of the [Corporation] is that we will be disposing of this property and other properties that we have.”