By Venus Honore-Gopie Wednesday, October 21 2009

NO approval was given by the Town and Country Planning Division for the Chinese camp at Ramsaran Trace, Bejucal Road, Cunupia.

Annabelle Brasnell, communications director at the Ministry of Housing, Planning and the Environment, told Newsday yesterday that an application for planning permission was made to the division for the construction of a warehouse at the site and the application was refused.

She could not say who the applicant was as the ministry was still in process of sourcing the information.

The housing accommodation for over 100 Chinese labourers has been criticised in many quarters and has even been debated in the Parliament as being inhumane and unsanitary.

The Chinese nationals are workers employed with Beijing Liujian Construction Corporation TT Limited.

The Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation is still awaiting word from the Town and Country Planning Division before it can take any action to have the structure demolished.

Sources indicated that only when the division indicates that the structure is illegal, can they go in and have it demolished or instruct the owners to comply with what was submitted on the construction plans.

The corporation has received information that the living camp has been registered as an area to facilitate a warehouse and not for housing purposes.

“We have to wait until the Town and Country Planning Division makes a decision on the appeal of the applicant before we can do anything,” Winifred David, chief executive officer of the corporation said.

Brasnell, in a statement, said “The building does not have any planning approval and the TCPD received an application for the construction of a warehouse.”

She added that since the application was refused, “the applicant filed an appeal with the Advisory Town Planning Panel (ATPP) and the ATPP needs to make a ruling before the TCPD can proceed.”

Calls have been made for the camp to be shut down after the Chinese workers staged a protest last week against the conditions under which they live.

They are also seeking payment of outstanding salaries they claim are owed to them and said all they wanted was to go home.

Councillor for St Helena/Warrenville, Shama Deonarine and Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) secretary general Ancel Roget visited the camp last week and expressed outrage at the living conditions.

The camp’s kitchen was eventually closed by public health officers from the County Medical Officer Health, Caroni, last Friday.