Wednesday, March 10 2010

THE Sport Company of TT was yesterday criticised by PNM MP for St Ann’s East Anthony Roberts for not treating with the Brian Lara recreational grounds and pavilion at Santa Cruz with “urgency”.

The sod was turned for the project in 2007 and was supposed to take 18 months to complete. It began with a contractor but work subsequently was halted.

Work has since resumed but the duration of the project has raised the ire of the MP who at yesterday’s Joint Select Committee meeting, asked if residents had to “rise up again and get on irresponsibly to get the sport company to do what it is supposed to do?”

“I would hope that is not the approach. We have delivered as we indicated we will have the field ready and the amenities in place so the community can use it,” responded Sport Company executive director Darren Millien.

Millien said the “outstanding matter” was the $33 million price tag for design of the pavilion from Brian Lara Designs.

“We have not had those meetings yet. Mr Lara and his team have been hard to pin down. So we would like to resume discussions to arrive on a consensus on the way forward”.

JSC chairman Pennelope Beckles reminded Millien that at the last meeting with the JSC the end of February the facility could be used by the community.

Beckles asked if a date for completion of this phase could be given so Roberts could tell his constituents. Millien said by the end of this month.