Deputy Mayor at odds with Mayor of Kingston over Building Act breaches

 

Deputy Mayor of Kingston Delroy Williams has rejected statements by Mayor Andrew Swaby, in relation to breaches of the Building Act.

 

Mr Williams says the comments are seeking to distract from what he said has been a lack of transparency, and bad governance practices which have plagued the Kingston & St Andrew Municipal Corporation [KSAMC] since the People's National Party (PNP) has been at the top of the power-sharing arrangement in the Corporation.

 

The PNP secured the mayorship of the Corporation after last February's local government election, by virtue of winning a small majority of the popular vote, even though it tied with the Jamaica Labour Party [JLP] in the number of seats won. Councillor Williams, of the JLP, who had been mayor prior to the election, was appointed Deputy Mayor under the power-sharing arrangement in the newly constituted Council after the election. 

 

The KSAMC recently announced that two developers,  Estatebridge Holdings and the Jacden group, have been fined for building breaches.  

 

The building breaches were identified at a residential property at 2 Weycliffe Close in Beverly Hills, being developed by Estatebridge Holdings as well as at a commercial building at 18 and a half Lyndhurst Road being developed by Jacden group.

 

Mr Williams says Mayor Swaby has sought to attribute blame to him for a blatant breach of the building code by the JACDEN Group.