In the wake of a dispute, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) says that the Carifesta Avenue grounds earmarked for a massive Qatari resort are held by the state and not the Mayor and City Council.
Government’s whirlwind announcement over the weekend of the Qatari project raised concerns from the city which has contended that the lands in questions were passed to it by the estate of Quintin Hogg in 1887 for recreational use.
The GLSC disputed this yesterday. In a statement, it said that its records show that Lots 1 and 2 of Plantation Thomas were held under Transport number 30 of 1863 by the Colony of British Guiana.
These have since been referred to as Government Lands after 1966. The GLSC said it issued leases on Colony Lands (CLL category) and continues to issue leases on Government Lands now the GLL category. The unique feature is that these lands are held under Transports as against State Lands which are not.
It said that Lot 2 was transferred to Hogg vide Transport in 1886. A portion of land consisting of 15 acres called Non Pareil Park along with two other portions called A and B comprising 18 and 10 areas respectively were later transferred by Hogg to the Mayor and Town Council of Georgetown vide Transport Number 337 of 1887.
“The area basically covered under this Transport extended from Camp (Road) to Vlissingen Road in an East west Direction and the area immediately south of Queen’s College’s southern boundary, to Cummings Canal in a North South Direction. This block of land was save and except Lot C previously held by J.V. Caetano and which was acquired for the construction of Irving Street, the residual being fenced into the Guyana Public Service premises now.
“The area retained by Government covered the entire area to the North of the grounds on the Northern side of Woolford Avenue from Camp (Road) to Vlissingen Road up to the Sea wall (basically from Queen’s College to the sea wall)”, it asserted.
Over the years, it said that various surveys were done over all of the lands for different purposes by both the Town Council and the Government, for instance the land on which the Government Technical Institute (GTI) was built was acquired by government from the City Council by Order number 27 of 1951 (plan 5678).
It added that the Indian Education Trust College of British Guiana obtained Lease 347 of 1960 from the City Council for 99 years for the area east of GTI. The Tennis Court, it said, is the property of the Council. Central High School was surveyed by the Council in 1959 (plan 8921) but at no time did the council survey north of Central and Queen’s College. “They basically knew their boundaries back then”, the statement said.
Plan 11057, it says, shows the playgrounds north of Woolford Avenue surveyed by the Council in 1964 and added that the council should be aware if they gave any leases.
“The Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission Stock Plan number 12850 highlights all Government Lands in the City and from the extract it can be seen where the red lines are. These are all Government properties except where they were sold. This plan also lists the various agencies and or organizations that once occupied or still occupies some of these lands.
“The Government has been issuing leases for many years over the lands held under Transport for the lands government had retained, among several leases the two play grounds on Carifesta Avenue where the new hotel project is to be developed. Permission number C. 434 was issued to the Teacher’s Training Centre in 1947 by the Department of Lands and Mines”, it said.
Permission number C. 433 was issued to “Youth Council” in 1947 for the area east of the Teachers Training Centre while other portions of lands were leased to Saint Stanislaus College, B.G Boy Scout (now Ministry of Education), East Indian Cricket Club (Everest), Catholic Guild Club (now Marian Academy). Maltenoes Sports Club (expired, now being processed again). Cosmos Sports Club (now being processed for Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club). Some areas, it said, were also given to the Guyana Telecommunication Corporation by vesting orders under the Public Corporations Act, these are now part of GTT properties.
The only portion of land that the City Council held in the area north of Carifesta Avenue was a dam between GTT and Saints Stanislaus ground (called Wireless Road). This, the GLSC said, was leased to a private citizen for commercial purposes by the Council.
“The above basically seeks to bring some perspective into the ownership of the lands in the area and from the account given it can be garnered that the City Council does not clearly know what they own. The GLSC has a substantial amount of historic records that shows its control of those lands for well over 100 years, at no time during this period has there been any interference by the Council as to the ownership of the said lands.
“A quick check of the amount of land held by the City Council will amount to approximately 43 English Acres which more or less corresponds to the area previously described as being held by the Town council”, the statement added.
