Lawyers told to ‘find your own parking’, not Court House yard

Plans are being set in place for the overall development of Kingstown, one of which will be a ban on unregulated parking in the lot of the High Court and Registry.

This was revealed by Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves at the official opening of the new vegetable markets yesterday, Thursday November 17 where he provided updates on rebuilding and renovation work to be carried out on buildings in the capital.

He described the “disorder in the court house yard” as a “security issue” which needed to be addressed.

“How it could be fair that you have lawyers going in the court house yard every morning, getting free parking and when Parliamentarians go in there for a meeting of Parliament you will have a lawyer will go and tell a Parliamentarian ‘you can’t park there’.

Without giving a definitive date for how soon the change will come into effect, PM Gonsalves confirmed that parking on the premises will be reserved for employees of the Court.

“I have notice for all of you, the only people who are going to be parked inside there are people who are working in the court house, not lawyers. Find your own parking space, I’m shutting you out from there. Today the Registrar of the High Court is supposed to come before me, and I’m going to give her the instructions in relation to that and we set a timetable,” Gonsalves made clear.

He confirmed that the government had secured funds for the rebuilding of the court with a complex, and a Parliament building to be erected at Richmond Hill. He also said that a temporary Parliament is to be built at Calliaqua.

“Because the Bank of St. Vincent is buying out First Caribbean, they are going to move all their business operations between the current building and the First Caribbean Bank building so the government is going to buy from the Bank, the building down at Bedford Street and we are going to put the Court House and the Registry inside there until we build over the new court house building.”

He spoke as well on other rebuilding plans which included the refurbishment of the ‘Little Tokyo’ bus terminal. During the time that work is being done, buses which operate on the Windward route will be stationed temporarily on Bedford Street.

Informal vendors who operate from this area are expected to be moved by the end of month.

In the Bottom Town area at the entrance to the road leading to Edinboro Gonsalves said 13 families, who occupy the three structures there are to be re-located after the Ministry of National Mobilization has identified the lands for building.

School rebuilding was also listed as part of the City’s redevelopment plan, with the Thomas Saunders Secondary School set to undergo extensive renovation.