Government backbencher Trevor Prescod has taken the administration to task for what he sees as a double standard when it comes to housing projects in the island.Speaking in the House of Assembly on Tuesday, during the debate on the Crown Lands (Vesting and Disposal) Act, the St Michael East MP questioned why the use of land could be changed for some projects while it was not done to provide housing for low-income earners.Making reference to the proposed construction of a new Geriatric Hospital in the area of the National Botanical Gardens in Waterford, Prescod acknowledged the importance of that project but questioned the change in policy that prevented large-scale construction in the area of the Belle, given its importance to the island’s water supply.“How can you change the use of the land to build a geriatric hospital and you can’t change the use also to accommodate these people even on the borders?” he said.Prescod suggested that changes could be made to use former plantation grounds, such as the Belle and Drax Hall plantations, to expand housing.
