Residents of Hellshire have expressed relief and gratitude after learning that a proposed site for the building of the Hellshire Primary School will no longer be used.

The residents welcomed, 'with open arms', news that the Minister of Education, Andrew Holness, has given instructions to the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) to develop a suitability plan for an alternative site for the school.

The residents, who proposed the new site after discovering that the original location was inappropriate due to its proximity to a sewerage treatment pond, said they are glad their cries have not fallen on deaf ears and say they will give 100 per cent support to the project in whatever way they can. The new school is expected to cater to 500 students.

will work with ministry

"We are very glad with the decision," one resident told THE PORTMORE STAR. "We see that they are trying to work with us and we will try to work with them."

After touring the proposed site with a team from the Ministry of Education, the UDC and several residents, Holness agreed to take a more definitive look at the site by way of schematic drawings with the planners.

Senior planner for the UDC, Hopeton Smith, said that an exploded view of the site would be done to see how it could accommodate the school if, in fact, a decision was made to locate the institution at that site. "This, then, has to be communicated to the senior management of the UDC and the board," he said.

The minister revealed that, in addition to a suitability analysis, permission would also have to be obtained from the Portmore Municipal Council for building.

But Mayor of Portmore, Keith Hinds, noted that after viewing both sites, he thought the alternative location was much more suited for the school, and expressed the view that the proposal would receive favourable feedback from the council.

"We'd have to look favourably at it, but there are committees that govern the operations of parish councils and it might necessitate calling that committee into action sooner, but if it is something that is urgent enough, we certainly will look at it," he said.