UDC to Prepare Suitability Plan for Location of Hellshire Primary

Minister of Education, Andrew Holness has given instructions to the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) to develop a suitability plan for an alternate site for the Hellshire Primary School.
The site was proposed by residents of the Hellshire community, after they pointed out that the original location that was being scouted for the school, was inappropriate, as it is in close proximity to a sewerage treatment pond. The school is expected to cater to 500 students.
After touring the proposed site on Saturday (Feb. 23) with a team from the Ministry of Education, the UDC, and residents, Mr. Holness agreed to take a more definitive look at the site by way of schematic drawings with the planners.
UDC Senior Planner, Hopeton Smith explained to JIS News that an exploded view of the site would be done to see how it could accommodate the school if in fact a decision was made to locate the institution at that site. “This then has to be communicated to the senior management of the UDC and the board,” he said.
The Minister also stated that in addition to a suitability analysis, permission would also have to be obtained from the Portmore Municipal Council for building.
Meanwhile, Mayor of Portmore, Keith Hinds noted that after viewing both sites he thought the alternate location was much more suited for the school, and expressed the view that the proposal would receive favourable feedback from the Council.
“We’d have to look favourably at it but there are committees that govern the operations of Parish Councils and it might necessitate calling that committee into action sooner, but if it is something that is urgent enough that we can look at we certainly will look at it,” he said.