Word coming to TNN suggesting that large fences have been erected by HotelCo, the St. George’s Club and St. Regis properties, on Somner Lane allegedly without proper permission from the Department of Planning. The fence has been up for about three weeks at this point.
We spoke with area MPs Rene Ming, and Lovita Foggo.
“We have notified the Ministry of Public Works about this fence and they assured us that they would get the fence taken down,” Ms. Ming said. “ We were assured [by the Ministry] that the fence would be taken down, but that has not happened to date.”
Ms. Ming confirmed that the fence in question was indeed illegally built without proper permission. As a result, she is working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to rectify this issue and other matters in the area. According to her, Home Affairs is working to address the fence.
“ Myself and area MPs Kim Swan and Lovita Foggo have been concerned with the rites of access on this street since last October and beyond the fence, there are properties that have rites of access,” Ms. Ming said. “ There is even a property that granted the Government permission to use it for the [new] golf course . . . I agree that Hotelco. Will control the traffic in this area, especially as it relates to the golf course, but my concern as the area MP are my constituents, who are actually quite senior. If they have access to this property through their deeds, then we should be protecting that.”
According to Ms. Foggo, had the proper planning approval for the fence been sought from the very beginning, then residents, many of whom Ms. Foggo is closely related to, would have had the proper time and opportunity to object.
“ The property in question is quite large, but the access that they speak of is not able to give residents access to their home; they access their homes from a different lane,” Ms. Foggo said. “ Nonetheless, it is still their legal property and it is important that we protect the people’s rights.”