Clarendon launches $32m sustainable development plan

MAY PEN, Clarendon: A SUM of $32 million has been allocated to the Clarendon Municipal Corporation as grant funding to implement its much-touted Clarendon Local Sustainable Development Plan (CLSDP).

The funding, which came from the National Housing Trust in the sum of $12 million and another $20 million from the European Union, through the Sugar Transformation Unit in the Ministry of Agriculture, is already being shared among agencies and community groups to implement projects which are expected to drive economic growth, beginning at the local level. Funds were provided for small projects to encourage start-ups and to improve agricultural diversification.

Speaking at the launch of the Clarendon Local Sustainable Development Plan at the Wembly Centre of Excellence last Friday, Mayor of May Pen Winston Maragh said over the years, several plans, including the May Pen Area Development Plan, have been put together but were shelved for various reasons.

POSITIVE GUIDANCE

Long-range planner and project writer Horane Stewart explained that the CLSDP will impact on improving the lives of Clarendonians by taking a positive and proactive approach in guiding growth and development in the parish. “The plan addresses problems such as lack of employment, inadequate water supply, and improper garbage disposal, among others.”

Project supervisor Nickala Thompson also noted that the implementation phase have already begun, with sums of $400,000 being given to each development area to fund projects. These include, but are not limited to, a ginger project in Sandy River, Kellits, which employed 10 farmers; a beekeeping initiative in Spalding; and a rabbit rearing project in Lionel Town.