Prime Minister Gaston Browne has vowed to proceed with a proposed housing development in Barbuda despite objections from the Barbuda Council and the island’s BPM leadership.

Browne accused the council of opposing virtually every major development and rejected its claim that it knew nothing about the project. He said the proposal had been in the public domain for years.

The Prime Minister told Barbudans that neither BPM leader Trevor Walker nor other council members could prevent construction, drawing a comparison with earlier opposition to the Peace, Love and Happiness development at Palmetto Point.

The dispute reflects the continuing conflict between the central government’s development and private-ownership policies and the council’s defence of communal land administration.

Meanwhile, the first group of Barbudans could receive freehold land certificates within the next several weeks under the government’s one-dollar land policy.

Browne said approximately half a dozen lots were close to the title stage, although two had to be resurveyed because they exceeded the policy’s maximum allocation of one acre.

Under the initiative, eligible Barbudans may obtain freehold title for up to one acre for a nominal EC$1.

Browne dismissed anticipated objections from the Barbuda Council, maintaining that the island’s land is legally vested in the Crown and that the central government has the authority to issue the titles.

The land-ownership issue has long divided the Browne administration and the Barbuda People’s Movement, which argues for the protection of Barbuda’s communal land system.