REAL NEWS: The Barbuda Council is shedding light on a video that has gone into wide circulation and which shows a backhoe uprooting trees and destroying other property on the land side of a Barbuda beach.
In a press statement, the Council tells the public there is more to the incident, which dates back several months and, perhaps, years, and this was confirmed by Councilman John Mussington.
According to the Council, several letters have been written to the owners of the property concerning the blocking of the coastal road and restricting free access to the beach and coastline. However, all these letters reportedly have been ignored.
It was noted that the property boundary never included the coastal road, since such inclusion is not legal in Antigua and Barbuda.
Further, the Council says, there has been gradual encroachment and curtailment of free access to the beach area for local Barbudans until, eventually, a “private beach” emerged.
Reportedly the Coral Group Beach was a longtime picnic area for Barbudans and visitors alike and was a favourite spot for Prophet Burton and his day-tour guests.
Reports say the situation started to change after the construction of Uncle Roddy’s Restaurant on the north side of the public road, which operated in harmony with the picnic area.
Further reports are that the cottages were subsequently built, and the business owners began to complain about persons driving on the road and the noise from picnicking and beach fetes.
The Council says the cottage owners then dug a trench across the road to prevent passage, forcing the Council to fill it back in so that visitors could access the beach.
Following the destruction of a number of trees on the beachfront, Mussington says these were replaced by coconut trees (suspected to have been taken from Sandy Ground Plantation), sea grapes, and ornamentals. A boardwalk was also built, leading from the steps of the cottages to the now private beach.
It was noted that new cottages were constructed last year along the coastal road, and the owners wrote to Council seeking permission to erect temporary barriers due to the construction hazard. This was granted.
However, the councilman says, after construction was completed, the temporary barriers became permanent, further excluding Barbudans from the area.
He says the Council attempted to correct the situation a few months ago, but the backhoe operator sent on behalf of the Council allegedly was confronted by the business owner with a cutlass. He also called the Police, forcing the backhoe operator to withdraw, Mussington says.
Reportedly, the owner provided his lawyers with drawings that showed no road ever existed in that area.
Mussington says the Council is seeking only to have the public road — which existed there for years — be reopened.
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#EMINENT_DOMAIN must become a part of the public conversation regarding the PUBLIC BEACHES in Antigua & Barbuda.
It’s being obvious for decades, the intent(deprive the nappy heads) of these investors and locals who own beachfront properties as well.
Jumbee_Picknee
@Ras Mood do i realize how tame this article is … Please stop with your racist shit .. about Nappy head vs investors like its all investors white … It’s actually a nappy head Barbudian own the property uncle Roddie
@Curious…Our BEACHES are PUBLIC, as in a PUBLIC PARK which belongs to ALL the PEOPLE, and public access to accommodate vehicular traffic MUST be available to the beaches.
The problem of BEACH ACCESS to ALL is not a new issue. It’s decades old and MUST be addressed, forthwith, with #EMINENT DOMAIN at the forefront, of the public conversation.
As soon as, pickhead neargah tan up fu dem RIGHTS, the first word which comes out in the shit which folks like you vomit up, is RACIST, or RACISM.
Well Curious, call Vere Cornwall Edwards a RACIST, when it comes to standing firm on the issue of PUBLIC ACCESS to OUR PUBLIC BEACHES.
BTW…Reading is comprehension…”investors and (LOCALS) locals who own beachfront properties.”
So before you open your thought process to spew shit, read the food for thought properly, and digest it, so that the shit which you spew is through the natural process which produces #defacation.
Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
De ‘ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Foot Garrat_Bastard
Vere C. Edwards
#BTW…@Curious…please tell the Universe, where is the word “white,” used in my initial comment.
As for “white” and “beachfront properties…”
(a)…the hue known as “white” used to describe a percentage of the HUEman population is a part of my bloodline and lineage, to the white #wheelwright brought, to English Harbour by Horacio Nelson was my Great Great Great Great Grandfather who had children leading to the ASHE Family in Liberta.
There are ‘white’ people on my fathers family side as well.
I’ve dated, lived with, fucked white women. My current fiancé grandparents were white!
(b)…I own beachfront property in Antigua.
Therefore, I have no reason to be RACIST, as per your thoughts. However, I have thoughts, of being FAIR TO ALL!
As in..,
FAIR Antigua, Barbuda AND REDONDA,
We thy sons and daughters stand…
So Curious, finish Our National Anthem and you’ll get the essence, of why #EMINENT DOMAIN must be at the forefront, of Our present infrastructural, long term, developmental planning!
I stand #Firm, #Fair and #Steadfast says b this!
Jumbee Picknee aka Ras Smood
De ‘ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Foot Garrat Bastard
Vere C. Edwards
We REAL Contempirary.
De Village
Epicenter of Yaba Yaba!
LETs GO..BEACH ! BEACH!
OMNIDIRECTIONAL
UNDIMINISHED ALL Direction
” CENTRIFUGAL”…
None BEACH/ 🌊 PRIVATE Love ❤️ Happiness.
PLH.. 🇦🇬 A& B 🍒 Barbuda Brexit Antigua Prefix/Suffix..???
Yes! Don’t allow Barbuda to become Apartheid South Africa for the indigenous people, like Antigua. There are several beaches in Antigua that are not accessible to the “locals” — Past and present governments have allowed this to occur — It won’t be long before all of the pristine beaches becomes off limits to us.
“Get up stand up – stand up for your right”
— Bob Marley
I have spent time at the cottages and I never saw at anytime anyone blocking Barbudans or Guest from the beach. As a matter of fact there is an access on the North Side from the main road that everyone uses to get to the hang out spot next to the property line. There were nice people there for the whole of Easter. This is a successful business which threatens people like Trevor Walker and Mckenise Frank that locally owned, sustainable development is possible. As for John Mussington, my friend, you are being influenced by a group of power hungry idiots. If you want something to do, get the Council to stop mining sand at the same Coconut farm you mentioned above.
I concur…this is rubbish and more political idiocy – BPM vs ABLP. As a matter of fact the only beach spot in Barbuda that prefers catering to white visitors ONLY is at Shack-A-Weirdo. Yep i said it and shamed the devil! There if you aren’t stepping off a yacht or white you will be received with the most unwelcoming scowl. You cant park there or get passage to the beach there if you don’t meet the criteria. All the construction workers get turned away and have been told not to bring disgrace to that beach. It’s assumed that all the workers will be smoke weeding which of course is ‘much’ worse than coke snorting. Why those petty schoolgirls don’t go bulldoze that entire ish?! infact why not continue onto bulldozing the derelict abandoned buildings throughout Barbuda that are safety and security hazards and bulldoze away the garbage collecting right outside the council building?!
Anyone (Antigua New Room) speak to the affected property owner and ask her to share the letter she was given? Hearing her speak re this issue one gets the impression that this is a political move. There was no proper notice and the letter, atleast the one she was given, had nothing to do with beach access. Lady makes clear that it was during the action that a counsel member stated to her they had a letter for her that should have been delivered before. If what she says is correct, the counsel will have to compensate her for the damage done
This is a property owned and operated by a Barbudan. So this is a fight between uncle Roddy’s a Barbudan and the Barbuda Council which is made up of Barbudans. Mr. Mussington you cannot have it two ways. If you are going to quote Antigua Land Act then follow it in it’s entirety. So no property should be built on Barbuda without DCA approval. That all citizens of Antigua and Barbuda should be able to purchase lands on Barbuda.
All OF THE BEACHES IN ANTIGUA AND BARBDUA ARE PUBLIC.SOME ARE ACCESSED BY LAND AND OTHERS BY BOATS ONLY.NO ONE CAN PREVENTS ANYONE FROM GOING TO THE BEACHES. IT SHOULD BE HELL TO PAY,IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN.
All of them should be accessible by land — because the majority of Antiguans don’t have boats — It is a subtle form of Apartheid — Done by design. Antiguans have willingly accepted the deprivation of their birthright privileges. And it has gotten worst over the years.
The Barbuda Council is on a collision course with the Law. They think it is with the government, but they are mistaken. The police are there to uphold the law of the land. They took the government all the way to the Privy Councils and lost and yet they claim they will not abide by the ruling of the highest court. So, in fact, they say to hell with the court. Well, they will sooner or later find out that no one is above the law. If they want to hold on to the myth that they have been told all those years, it is too bad for them. And when the shit hits the fan, I will not feel sorry for anyone of them. I remember after hurricane Irma when the Prime Minister declared Barbuda a disaster and uninhabited, there were some protesting not to want to leave the Island. It was the military that had to take them off. The same will happen. The law shall and must be upheld. No matter who it is. And once the police commissioner signals to the Prime Minister that he needs military assistance, the game will be over. You can start your rioting.
Mussington isa joke. Jokester and clown. Speaks out both sides and both lies.
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