Persons who choose to dump building material on the road in their communities will soon face the wrath of the St Catherine Parish Council, which will be imposing a $5,000-a-week fee.

Christopher Powell, secretary manager of the council, told The Gleaner that the organisation would be paying particular interest to those who dumped sand, marl, building blocks, steel, but that anything that encroached on the parochial road would also be looked at.

"We will be charging persons under Section 51 (d) of the Parochial Road Act, which gives the council the authority to prevent persons from depriving others of enjoying the freedom of the premises in which they invest. For too long, neighbours have been complaining to the council about encroaching neighbours," Powell said.

He warned that persons who did not comply when the order was served would be taken to court.

Powell added that the fees would also apply to those who mixed concrete and other such materials on the road.

Revenue to fix roads

According to Powell, revenue from the new measures would be used to fix the roads, which are often damaged by the practice.

The parish council will issue a notice to sensitise persons about the breach and the impending mea-sures to curtail it.

T. K. Whyte, vice-president of the Ensom City Citizens' Association, chimed in on the issue, saying there were dangers persons needed to be aware of, even outside of the new measures being implemented by the St Catherine Parish Council.

"Residents have to be very alert about the law, as even the sidewalk before your property is yours. So if someone gets hurt, they can sue you and win. Therefore, if there is material blocking, persons can also get into trouble. So try not to encroach," he said.