The parliamentary representative for the St. Paul constituency, E.P Chet Greene, is urging residents and commercial interests in the St. Paul Nelson’s Dockyard National Park to find common ground as the issue of noise pollution has again become a concern especially for home owners in the area.
Speaking in parliament on Friday, MP Greene noted that the area is a ‘shared space’ with competing interests; the area being the yachting mecca for the entire Eastern Caribbean and related businesses as well as an area where many persons have built their homes and where they reside.
“My appeal today is for the interests in the area to peacefully and respectfully recognize and accept the fact that the interest of feters is supportive of the economy, but likewise, the rest that is required by the remainder of the population is also a factor to be considered. So I have proffered and I will continue to advocate for a ‘quiet period’ and quiet means just after midnight to 1:00 am on weekdays and Sundays and a ‘peak period’ for Fridays and Saturdays and licensed events,” he suggested.
There will be exceptions such as during Sailing Week when throughout the week will be treated as Fridays and Saturdays as this event is a premier attraction, which each year draws hundreds of yachters from around the world who come to Antigua both for sailing and for the accompanying parties.
“It’s a one-week event, and so we ‘let it go’ for everybody. The residents will be asked to be patient in order to accommodate this major activity with the understanding that the economy impacts all,” he declared.
For the MP, his main recommendation is to create a zone in the area and to give permission for those in the entertainment business to construct purpose-built nightclubs that would eliminate the noise pollution as the music would be contained within those structures.
“That way, you can have your fetes from morning ‘till night because the walls are insulated and no one would be affected. However, for this year, while we are still discussing the issue, I ask for patience and tolerance on the part of homeowners, but I also ask for discretion on the part of feters. You cannot expect to come to English Harbour on a Sunday night and expect to end a fete at 4:00 am on Monday; this is not reasonable!” he stated.
He explained that one DJ told him that his practice is to lower the volume of the music at about 1:00 in deference to the home owners in the area. “It’s not about locking down the music, it’s about controlling the music in respect for the other persons in the ‘shared space’,” he noted.
