The Central Housing and Planning Authority is preparing a Community Development Plan for the Diamond and Grove communities and has set public consultations on this issue at the weekend.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release the need for a plan stemmed from the communities’ rapid growth in recent years.
The Authority said a plan was needed “to effectively manage future development in anticipation of continued growth.” The plan also includes Samatta Point and Kaneville.
Government had said that the area can be developed into a town in the near future and already certain “township services” are emerging such as the Diamond, East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital, a branch of the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry, the Busta Packaging Plant and a branch of the Bounty Supermarket. Plans are also in train to open another bank in the area. Housing schemes in the areas have stimulated other small scale commercial development, the release said.
According to GINA the exercise builds on earlier studies of the East Bank corridor which include business and residential surveys and the documentation of a community profile. In order to have public input some community consultations have been planned for residents. These sessions will be hosted tomorrow at the Samatta Point Nursery School from 9 am to 8 pm and at the Diamond New Secondary School, Section ‘A’ Diamond, on Sunday from 9 am to 8 pm. The Authority is then expected to evaluate the results of this dialogue and produce the first draft of the plan by March 31.
