Former Chief Justice Sir David Simmons is calling for a thorough investigation into the ownership of a public bath and recreational space at Porey Spring, St Thomas, with a view to having Government acquire it for the enjoyment of surrounding communities.
Sir David, the Member of Parliament for St Thomas from 1976 to 2001, made the call as members of the Porey Spring community, with the help of the Alliance Party for Progress (APP), challenged an order from the Town and Country Planning Department to halt construction of a chattel structure being erected for small business people to sell food, craft, and other items.
According to former APP candidate Patsie Nurse, an official from the department had informed residents that the unfinished wooden structure was in danger of being knocked down.
“All of my years I had been living up here and I am 61 now, and nobody knows who owns the land, but it is only after the guys decided that they would clean up here and make it look beautiful, that is where somebody came in and said they own the land,” said Nurse.
The individual apparently staking claim to the land lives near the spring but was not at home when Barbados TODAY visited the area.
Residents said that many moons ago promises were made for the area, a popular spot for the Rastafari community, to be compulsorily acquired by the Government and set aside for their communal enjoyment.
Victor Waithe, better known as Bang, has spent the last 30 years painting, building and beautifying the area around the spring, along with the neighbouring community of Spring Farm. The area is now known for its murals and positive messages in colour that greet visitors.
Waithe said when the project was in its infancy, then MP Sir David had endorsed it and expressed a desire for the government of the day to purchase the spot of land.
“Mr Simmons came to me one Friday night and he asked for me. He gave me a brown envelope with $300 in it and he told me that what I am doing is good and maintained that any time the land is being sold that the Government would buy it for us,” he told reporters.
“That is what really motivated me to continue the work and I’ve been doing my best for all of these years.”
When contacted on Tuesday, Sir David confirmed that he had suggested at the time that the Government acquire the land and put in place regulations for the use of the spring.
“But I left all things in 2001 and I really can’t tell you what happened since then or if anybody else has made representation to the Government,” the former MP, Attorney General and Chief Justice told Barbados TODAY, adding that many of the popular springs in the country were governed by laws dating back to colonial times that placed restrictions on who could benefit from the water provided by springs such as the Three Houses Spring and the Porey Spring, although those pieces of legislation have since been repealed.
“My recommendation is that the matter should be thoroughly investigated by the relevant ministries . . . . Somewhere in Government there should be an investigation by relevant ministries and . . . if it cannot be proven that any private person owns the spring, then the Government should acquire it and bring appropriate legislation to regulate the spring,” Sir David added.
Efforts to reach current St Thomas MP Cynthia Forde for an update on any future plans for the area were unsuccessful.
Sir David maintained that throughout his tenure as MP, the public enjoyed full access to the area, especially nearby residents who would wash their clothes, bathe and bottle the water.
But as the country examines new ways to expand its tourism offerings, he noted that just southeast of Porey Spring was an abandoned slave hut on Fortress Hill and, just below, is Rock Hall, the country’s first “free” village.
“With what is going on at Rock Hall, the Government, I think, could lend leadership to those historical areas starting with the acquisition and regulation of Porey Spring and helping to develop it into a nice tourist facility or attraction, and perhaps they could look to do something at Fortress also. You’ve got Rock Hall, you’ve got Porey Spring and you’ve got Fortress Hill and I think it is something that is ripe for governmental intervention,” said Sir David.
Meanwhile, Waithe said the area attracts many young people who are “entrepreneurial” and “positive”. He added that tourists already visit the area in droves and taxi drivers have been sharing tips on how the area could be more marketable.
Nurse noted that the small business people in the area could benefit from much of the education being offered by the Ministry of Energy and Business Development and invited Minister Kerrie Symmonds to visit.
“The spring was a spring with bare bush and nobody could park, but now it is beautiful and it is the youngsters from the community who made it beautiful. For too long, St Thomas has been abandoned by the ministers, the people who put them in there, so we need for them to come out and help St Thomas, the community,” urged the former APP candidate. kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb
