Christopher Brown, the People’s National Party (PNP) caretaker candidate for St Mary South Eastern is urging Member of Parliament Dr Norman Dunn to immediately address the deteriorating condition of Long Road in that constituency.

Just last week, the road suffered severe erosion, further jeopardising the community’s access and risking complete isolation.

“The time has come for the current Member of Parliament and the relevant authorities to act decisively and address the dire state of Long Road and its surrounding communities. For years, the people in this area have been enduring these appalling conditions, and enough is enough,” Brown stated.

The PNP caretaker pointed out that although the National Works Agency (NWA) provided temporary assistance after last week’s incident, this piecemeal and reactive approach has failed to resolve the deeper issue of inadequate road infrastructure and provide any long-term solution.

Brown highlighted that residents have long endured the poor state of the roads despite their participation in past and current SPARK consultation programmes designed to address these very issues as recommended by the sitting MP. Unfortunately, these initiatives have not resulted in the much-needed improvements.

“The community had high hopes that the Relief Emergency Assistance and Community Help (REACH) programme would bring about substantial road repairs,” Brown added.

“But as other roads in the region are prioritised under REACH and SPARK, the people of Long Road continue to wait in vain. It is deeply frustrating and disheartening for the residents, who feel increasingly neglected.”

The situation has worsened following heavy rains, leaving Long Road and other nearby roads in a deplorable state. Residents now face the real risk of being cut off from the rest of the constituency.

“The suffering of the people in Long Road is further compounded by the looming threat of complete isolation due to the state of the roads. This is no longer just an inconvenience; it’s a full-blown crisis that demands immediate action,” Brown stressed. “The people of South East St Mary deserve better. With the election approaching, we are seeing a rush to resurface and patch roads across the constituency. So, why have the people of Long Road been excluded?”

Brown also called on the current MP and the authorities to intervene and prioritise the repair of Long Road without further delay, ensuring that residents are no longer left stranded or ignored.

MP responds

Dunn, the Member of Parliament, told Our Today that some roadwork in the constituency has been undertaken, but like other MPs, he is waiting on the roll-out of the SPARK programme.

Speaking specifically on Long Road, he said, “It is to be addressed under SPARK as well as other agencies’ programmes due to my strong advocacy. The residents are very aware of my complete commitment to them, as [are] residents of other areas that have bad roads. The residents of Long Road are understanding, as one said three days ago in the presence of many persons ‘Is the PNP that cause the road to be in this state of disrepair after 18 years straight plus seven more years of neglect and bad representation.'”

Prior to Dunn’s tenure as MP, the constituency of St Mary South Eastern was under the stewardship of Dr Winston Green from December 2011 until his death in August 2017.

While admitting that the citizens “need a good surface to travel on”, Dunn defended his work in the constituency, noting, “I have and will continue to provide that solution.”

“When I was elected, there was no road from the Annotto Bay Primary all the way to Baxters Mountain. In fact, all of that was a riverbed and I completely paved that road. It’s a real shame that the PNP can even utter a comment on this road, knowing well how that have neglected and abandoned the people of long Road for so many years,” Dunn added.

“The people of Long Road do not need politics. They need solutions that I have committed to give as someone who was born and grown in Annotto Bay and understand what these communities were like…but was totally destroyed by the PNP.”