Sheena Gayle, Freelance Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

The superintendent of roads and works at the St Elizabeth Parish Council, Kenroy Stewart, is set to replace his embattled colleague, Tubal Brown, at the St James Parish Council on May 12.

Brown was slated to be transferred to the St Ann Parish Council, but his position as a superintendent of roads and works remains in limbo pending the outcome of his interdiction in relation to building breaches at the Riu Hotel in Montego Bay, St James.

Brown was interdicted after the Riu Hotel produced signed copies of a revised building plan permitting the construction of a four-storey hotel.

However, the council has insisted that it had no records of that application.

Pilots in jeopardy

It also said the fourth floor cannot be permitted at Riu because it affects pilots landing at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.

The St James Parish Council placed a 14-day stop notice on Riu's 700-room building in late April, barring the further construction of the fourth floor.

Mayor of Montego Bay, Charles Sinclair, yesterday said the stop order remains in effect; however, he said the hotel could appeal that decision taken by the council.

The hotel chain, in a statement last week said: "Although Riu maintains that these revised plans were submitted to the parish council and approved, the sequence of events cannot be accurately reconstructed."

Riu has since resubmitted the revised four-storey building plans to the parish council. The council is to forward the submission to the National Environment and Planning Agency and other relevant agencies to decide whether to grant any approval.