CIG spends $1.1M more on land to block development
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government has used public cash to buy another two pieces of land costing more than CI$1.1 million, the Ministry of Lands has confirmed. According to a brief summary of a recent Cabinet meeting, the ministers approved the purchase of both pieces of land for conservation reasons. However, officials told CNS that the acquisitions were made to prevent development and maintain access to the ocean.
The CIG paid CI$650,000 for just over two acres in Little Cayman (block 88A parcel 3) and CI$455,000 for land (block 25B parcel 243) adjacent to the old Mariners Cove site.
The recent acquisitions, approved by Cabinet in its 10 September meeting, are in addition to purchases revealed in response to a freedom of information request made by a CNS reader.
The FOI request revealed that since the elections in 2021, the CIG (first PACT and now the UPM) has spent at least CI$45.5 million acquiring more than 60 pieces of land, most of them purchased over the last 18 months. CI$12 million was spent buying land on Cayman Brac alone. The CIG also spent over $2.1 million on Scranton Park and some $20 million for beach access on all three islands.
Some of the lots, including some of the more expensive acquisitions, appear to have been financed by the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). However, despite the government’s claim that much of this land is for conservation purposes, less than C$1.6 million has been spent on buying land to actually conserve endangered natural habitats or species.
The Department of Environment confirmed that neither of these two new plots bought by the government was a priority for specific species or habitat conservation.
Lands and Survey said the National Conservation Council was consulted under section 41 of the National Conservation Act, as is the case with all land acquisitions, prior to Cabinet approval of the acquisition of the parcels.
Officials also stated that the land was bought using the budget line EA146 Land Purchases: Conservation which listed on the appropriations bill passed in parliament following the delivery of the 2024/25 Budget last year and not from the environmental protection fund.
CNS Note: This is an updated version of an earlier post which incorrectly stated that the appropriation was not included in the budget.
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Category: Government Finance, Land Habitat, Politics, Science & Nature
Now they are trying to buy the Fish Market by compulsory acquisition to protect two fishmongers. All being done to oppose Mr Johnson’s CPA application to beautify the site and install wheelchair access. It also gets Kenny some votes.
Usual political intellectual dishonesty.
I remind the Government it was Mr Johnson who built the sidewalk because of the danger to pedestrians walking along North Church Street. How soon we forget.
CI Gov’t should have been doing this for ‘donkey years.’ No, they wait until prices are sky high for land and/or someone they know to own such property, then sell it to the government for some biga88 amount.
However, as the old saying goes, better late than never!
What about the Smatts land they purchased four years ago for $5m. They did nothing except pull down the cottages without planning permission then fenced off the property so residents cannot use it.
Bryan can we have an explanation. What the heck are you doing. Why have u fenced it off.
Make it a park
Oh no, pls don’t say that word. We have more of them than anything else and the one being utilized the most is the Airport Park!!
You think it was only $5m? Cute.
Someone should check who is cashing the commission checks.
Do you really have to ask…?
Is the seller of the land known? So who is it?
Not sure, but the Land Registry records can be checked.
Survey says;
25B243 – Timothy Creighton, Albert Creighton Jr., Dian Creighton Woodruff
88A3 – Gregory Scott, Violette Scott (deceased)
Is the seller of the land known? So who is it?
“maintain access to the ocean” …One day CNS will learn that Cayman is located in the Caribbean Sea. Yes that big blue body of water surrounding the island is not the ocean.
CNS: The big blue body of water that covers 71% of the Earth’s surface is known as “the ocean”. The ocean covers most of the planet. A synonym for “ocean” used in this way is “sea”. The sea covers most of the planet. The two words are interchangeable when referring to the huge connected mass of water or any part of it. An oceanfront house is a house next to the ocean/sea.
Different parts of the global ocean/sea have different names, some of them have “ocean” as part of their name. These are very large bodies of water and sometimes the term “the oceans of the world” is used, referring to the five regions of the ocean/sea: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic oceans.
Some parts of the ocean/sea have “sea” in their names, e.g. Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea, which are smaller areas of the ocean, and are sometimes part of an ocean. The Caribbean Sea is part of the Atlantic Ocean. The Andaman Sea is part of the Indian Ocean.
Thus, the Caribbean Sea is part of the ocean. You can choose not to use the word “ocean” for the water that laps these islands, but that doesn’t make it incorrect. I’m all for pedantry, but you have to be right.
I think CNS just blew you out of the water ,[ sea , Ocean.)🤪
CNS gave them a total wipeout!
I sea what you tried to do there.
Undevelopable land but do carry on.
not very long ago ‘swamp land’ was considered ‘undevelopable’, so was extremely rocky areas particularly in East End. Alas, here we are with Camana Bay, Health City and too many developements and private buildings to even begin naming which are squarely on ‘undevelopable’ land.
*shrug*
Go for it. Maybe scroll down a bit here until you get to “Mariners Cove” though before you go writing any checks.
http://www.rohanchambers.com/Cayman/Hurricane-Ivan/Pictures.htm
Probably the best money government will spend ! Outside of assisting people in need and education scholarships.
a good start, now turn it into a skate park.
Since it’s taxpayers money being used, they will be disclosing the beneficia owners of the property, right 😂
This is how corruption is now being done. Blatant and massive misuse of public funds in many of these purchases. The politicians are out of control and aided and abetted by the Civil Service.
Civil Service doesn’t have a say in anything. Politicians just do what they want.
Honestly, this is one of the few things CIG does that i openly support.
We need a sovereign wealth fund specifically earmarked for purchasing key pieces of land and holding them back from development and privatization. These areas should be held in public trust and with the requirement that any modification of the land by government must be put forward to public vote for approval.
We already have a system of protection for that. Have the government transfer the lands to the National Trust as they have with many other important parcels. The land will be kept in perpetuity for the people of Cayman and be protected from the ever shifting priorities of each elected government.
Conservation for the endangered Caymanian is also super important and I applaud the government for doing this although they should be doing much more.
Now that they have a favourite realtor, I’m not surprised.
Who is the realtor?