Tensions mount in Barbuda as Council reportedly blocks access to Louis Hill development site

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By Robert Andre Emmanuel

[email protected]

Tensions escalated yesterday between the Central Government and the Barbuda Council after Council members allegedly used government trucks to block excavation work at a development site near Codrington.

The incident occurred at Louis Hill, where excavators were attempting to clear vegetation for a planned 100-home development project.

According to the post-Cabinet reports, two government-owned trucks were positioned to prevent access to the site, though they were later removed after intervention.

In the notes, the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister, Ambassador Lionel Hurst reported that: “in the interest of order and peace, the Cabinet took the decision to warn the Barbuda Council of the fundamental right which the Central Government exercises over Crown land in Antigua and Barbuda”.

“They are clearly obstructionists … the Privy Council determined that all land in Antigua and Barbuda that is not privately owned is the Crown’s, and by the Crown, it means the Government of Antigua and Barbuda,” Hurst said.

Addressing the Council’s motivations, Hurst stated: “We know very well that it has to do with the politics of Barbuda. If they are engaged in hostile relations with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, it seems to sell well among the electors in Barbuda.”

The government is considering escalating measures if the obstruction continues, Hurst added.

“Whenever you have disputes of this sort, it usually begins with a warning and then you up the ante later on by some legal action, maybe getting a court to issue an injunction,” Hurst said. “If they continue, then you may deploy security personnel to ensure they do not trespass on the land.”

The incident follows similar tensions over other development projects, including the PLH development.

Observer media reached out to the Barbuda Council for comment, however the Chairman said they would release a response in due time.

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