Gov’t to remove illegal structures on Crown lands

Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

With the development of the new Crown Land Policy, the government has announced it is moving to address illegal development on Crown lands, including the removal of derelict vehicles, boats, and heavy equipment machinery on these lands.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environmen, Natural Resources and Climate Change Ronald Smith-Berkeley stated under the newly instituted Crown Lands Policy, the government has the authority to remove or demolish these illegal structures.

He is also cautioning persons that their developments will be removed at their expense if they fail to comply with enforcement notices issued under the Physical Planning Act.

“The Ministry, in collaboration with the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, will remove, at the owner’s expense, any vehicle, building material and other personal property left unattended or abandoned on Crown land, including public roads and sidewalks, for more than five days,” Smith-Berkeley said.

He added that the territory’s Crown lands are to be strategically utilised to facilitate the administration and operations of government and to achieve agreed development objectives, including ensuring delivery of critical public infrastructure, community facilities and social services.

He also said other objectives also include development of agriculture and fisheries; environmental protection; adaptation to climate change; reduction of disaster risk; and supporting affordable land and housing programmes for Virgin Islanders, and Belongers.

The Virgin Islands Crown Land Policy governs the administration, management, development and use of all Crown land for all purposes, and focuses on strengthening the transparent administration and management of Crown land, including disposal of the same.

The policy does not address matters concerning private land. The development of a policy to guide the disposal of Crown lands was also one of the recommendations of the BVI Commission of Inquiry report which found that the handling of Crown lands was one area where the principles of good governance, such as openness, transparency and even the rule of law, were consistently ignored by elected leaders.

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