Government of Jamaica bats for Bahia Principe action
published: Thursday | June 8, 2006

THE GOVERNMENT is supporting the application brought by the Spanish owners of the Bahia Principe Hotel, who are seeking an order to set aside the order quashing the environmental permit.

The hotel is under construction at Pear Tree Bottom, Runaway Bay, St. Ann. The owners are contending that they were not served by the environmentalist group to be a party to the proceedings. The hotel is 85 per cent complete and the owners claim that, if the order is not set aside, there will be serious repercussions for the Jamaican economy.

Justice Bryan Sykes has put off the hearing until next week Wednesday for attorney-at-law Carol Davis to make submissions on behalf of Environmental Solutions Ltd. The company had prepared the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report in relation to the hotel. Mr. Justice Sykes, in quashing the permit, said there were flaws in the EIA report. The company is contending that its professional reputation is affected.