President visits Mont Buxton and St Louis |12 August 2017
Housing, road projects, social issues on the agenda
President Danny Faure yesterday continued his visits in the districts where he toured Mont Buxton and St Louis, two districts in the central region.
As has been the norm, President Faure was updated on housing and road projects being undertaken there and hotspots of social issues like people on drugs or alcohol and those living in deplorable conditions like large families sharing one room.
The spots visited by the president were identified by both the members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and district administrators.
President Faure was accompanied by Gervais Henrie and Sandy Arrisol, MNAs for Mont Buxton and St Louis districts respectively; district administrators of the two districts; Yves Choppy, principal secretary in the infrastructure department of the Ministry of Habitat, Infrastructure and Land Transport and other representatives of the districts and President’s Office.
Projects and people visited at Mont Buxton were the Ex-Dominic Savio Housing Estate; Edward Rosette, a retired teacher; proposed motorable access road at Belonie; Hangard Street redevelopment with the aim of redeveloping government property for more houses in the area and to cut down on illegal activity in the area; Dan Lenn road development which is a project to bring bus services closer to people living further up and to improve access by vehicles; a one-bedroom emergency house near the Belonie secondary school that needs renovation and to keep it only as an emergency house. A family of six is occupying that one-bedroom house for the past 8 years with the youngest being 11 years old and the oldest 58.
At St Louis the president visited a dilapidated house at Rue des Frères Maristes with two tenants occupying two units. The family needs to be relocated and an amputee who has been staying there for the past 23 years and has nowhere to go, will be relocated to a bedsitter at Serret Road.
He also visited Margaret Woodfield Pouponneau, a centenarian who will be celebrating her 105th birthday on August 15.
President Faure later on stopped at the Basin playing field where a multi-purpose complex is planned. He ended his visit at the Ex-Morel housing estate again where possible re-development is planned. These people are also living in dilapidated conditions.
“There are projects or issues that have been described as urgent by both the DAs and MNAs but for one reason or another responses were a bit slow in coming. So that’s why we called upon the president to intervene and sort of give a push so things can get moving. We are happy that we have agreed on many things today like housing, social issues, drug problems where addicts assemble, to name some. It is important all authorities and stakeholders concerned continue this dialogue so we do not have to resort to calling upon the president again,” said MNA Henrie after the visit.
MNA Arrisol’s views were along the same line where he said the cases of families visited by President Faure date back years.
“Today as they have received the visit of the presidential delegation, I believe things will get moving for those families to live in a more comfortable condition,” he said.
He expressed his confidence that projects earmarked in the districts will be implemented in the least possible delay.
Mr Choppy explained the various infrastructure projects going on in these districts and expected times of completion.
The Ex-Dominic Savio, he said, is a 36-unit project which is completed and allocation has already been made and is expecting tenants to move by end of next week. The project has cost the government R27 -28 million and is a project where the space area has been used to the maximum. There are eight units of two bedrooms and the rest three bedrooms.
As for the motorable access road, the issue of way-leave with the property owners is in the process of being finalised. The first phase is expected to start this year with completion of second phase next year. This road access will facilitate nearby inhabitants to develop their property.
As for Hangard Street, Mr Choppy said the immediate plan is to clean the place to eliminate undesirable activities. Development project has been earmarked to transform that place.
There have been some delays to the Dan Lenn road development project which started last year due to realignment of the road which had to get the agreement of private property owners.
For the emergency housing as soon as the current tenant moves, the house will be demolished.
He said the government already has a concept plan for a six-unit block of flats there.
A development project targeting young people, is planned at the Basin playing field at Le Niole.
For the Ex-Morel housing estate, Mr Choppy said the government has a housing development programme there and they will see how to accelerate this project.
