ROADTOWN Tortola, BVI, March 23rd 2011 - Speaking on NDP Radio programme last evening Monday March 21, 2011, 9th District Candidate under the NDP’s slate Dr. Hubert O’Neal disclosed that the golf course will be the first for the Virgin Islands which everyone will take advantage of and it will come as a complimentary to the developments in the North Sound, including Oil Nut Bay, Little Dix and the other villas.
Dr. O’Neal said “this is my development trust” and once his party is successful he will be very instrumentally involved in the development of the “whole North Sound area” also and the Gun Greek Port of Entry as a commercial centre.
The 9th District candidate explained that with all the traffic of Oil Nut Bay, Biras Creek and the other resorts passing through Gun Greek, it is an opportunity for the people to set up businesses in the area.
He added that the NDP will develop the infrastructure and commercial spaces to set up restaurants, gift shops and other businesses to support such an initiative.
Dr. Hurbert O'Neal. Photo: VINO
Dr. O’Neal further stated that with the NDP’s trust to develop Virgin Gorda, it will raise the tourism level for the island and opportunity for its people to improve their financial spending.
He said he has the vision of transforming Virgin Gorda into a “commercial paradise”, a plan which could be the “grand development” that Leader of the Opposition Dr. D. Orlando Smith often speaks of.
Dr. Smith, who was also a guest on the programme, stated that it was very important to have Gun Creek as a Port of Entry which will immediately increase the activities in that area. He also pointed out the need for a sea plan dock at Gun Creek as another area his party will be looking at.
The last time the subject of a golf course for the Virgin Islands surfaced, it was related to the five-star resort and development that was slated for Beef Island of which the golf course was to be a part of the project. The project became a highly controversial issue that has since been subject to legal barriers.
In 2009, after a two-year legal battle, the Virgin Islands Environmental Council (VIEC) won their case, where Justice Indra Hariprashad-Charles handed down a judgment finding the approval of the Beef Island Project to be illegal.
The two year legal battle began in July 2007 when VIEC, filed an application in the High Court seeking judicial review of the January 2007 decision by former Chief Minister, Hon D Orlando Smith granting planning approval to Quorum Island BVI Limited to construct a 5 star hotel, marina and golf course on Beef Island.
The golf course and marina were located next to and partially within the Hans Creek Fisheries Protected area.
Justice Charles ruled on September 21, 2009 that Hans Creek is a Fisheries Protected area within the meaning of the Fisheries Act which provides that no development activity can take place which may or is likely to adversely affect a fisheries protected area. Any contravention of the Regulations is an offence under the law.
She ruled that since certain aspects of the proposed development activity are certain to adversely affect the protected area, the planning approval was thereby rendered illegal.
However, the developers can re-submit a a planning proposal for the Beef Island development and the Government can approve such a proposal once it is within the law.
Article taken from Virgin Islands News Online
British Virgin Islands News