Government ignored a property owner who sought to follow the rules

The “11-year failure” of government to give the property owner a response amounts to a refusal to render a decision, Mr. Georges wrote.

The report, tabled at the Sept. 3 House of Assembly meeting without comment from elected representatives, details the application of a Sea Cows Bay woman who “invested hundreds of dollars in plans and preparations” to support her June 2000 application to reclaim land.

In 2001 she was told the decision was deferred until after the completion of a Sea Cows Bay Development Plan.

“Incredibly,” wrote Mr. Georges, the same reason was repeated a decade later in 2011.

The report states that the matter should cause government to ask itself if it wants to encourage residents to bypass the law – proceeding however they want when it comes to the territory’s resources, and simply getting government’s “official” permission after the fact.

Typically, the report adds, this is exactly what many residents have been doing.

See the Sept. 13, 2012 edition for full coverage.