Booby Alley housing project will begin in four weeks-Hurst

According to the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Ambassador Lionel Hurst, the housing project designated for Booby Alley in the Point, which has been years in the making, is finally set to commence in the near future.

The project, which is part of a grant from the People’s Republic of China to construct 250 homes, has faced significant opposition from residents since its announcement in 2018.

However, Hurst has stated that some “definite action within the next four weeks” can be expected, with a team of Chinese workers set to arrive in Antigua soon to initiate construction activities.

Hurst also revealed that the team will first fence the area before bringing in containers from elsewhere for the purpose of building the homes that are expected to be erected.

He added that essential groundwork, including soil testing and investigations into earth movements, has already been completed.

Despite the challenges faced by the project, including protests and resistance from residents, progress has been made.

Parcels of land have been acquired, and affected families have been relocated. However, in 2019, a riot broke out as residents objected to the relocation of a family, prompting Prime Minister Gaston Browne – the Member of Parliament for the area — to intervene.

With the commencement of the project just weeks away, residents will soon see the fruits of the government’s labour.