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By Nakinskie Robinson
Several attempts to reach an out of court settlement were ignored prior to Monday's initial hearing in the case relating to access to the public road that leads to the Blue Lagoon, in Portland.
This is according to attorney-at-law Dr. Marcus Goffe.
Dr. Goffe is representing several plaintiffs in the case, including Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement (JaBBEM) and residents of the communities surrounding the Blue Lagoon, against the Jamaica National Heritage Trust and the Portland Municipal Corporation as well as special interest beach front property owners.
Speaking with Radio Jamaica News on Monday afternoon, Dr. Goffe said this has been a longstanding matter which now requires the court's intervention.
"Requests for information under the Access to Information Act were made by the Portland Environment Action Group and those have not been answered, for the most part. And so, we were seeking to really engage in some discussions and meetings amicably, to really understand why the public road is being blocked to Blue Lagoon, for how long and being able to have the rights of the public preserved," he noted.
With the road being blocked for more than a year - since August 2022 - and the group getting no response to its request for a meeting or information, Dr. Goffe said the concerned parties were left with no choice but the take the issue to court.
He said his clients are still open to an amicable out of court settlement, but if not, he hopes the court will resolve the issue.
The parties in the challenge will return to the parish court on January 29, next year.
Dr. Goffe said Monday's hearing dealt with administrative matters.
Blue Lagoon, a popular tourist attraction, was closed for restructuring on August 29, last year and reopened on June 15.
JaBBEM says since then, the public has been required to take a new footpath over private land that restricts access to vehicular traffic.
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