SAYS LACK OF COORDINATION, SHIFTING COMPLETION TIMES CONTRIBUTE TO POOR RESULTS
HIGHGATE, St Mary; May 4, 2026
Member of Parliament for Central St. Mary, Omar Newell, is raising serious concerns about what he calls “the chaotic and unacceptable implementation of the SPARK Programme” in the communities of Killancholy and Tremolsworth.
According to Mr Newell, more than a year ago, in April 2025, work orders were issued for road rehabilitation under the then Member of Parliament Dr. Morais Guy. Residents were promised completion within weeks. In a release, he said, “More than a year later, those same residents are facing conditions that are, in many respects, worse than before the project began.”
Newell described the situation as “a textbook case of how not to execute infrastructure development.”
The release said that from the outset, the execution has been flawed. In Killancholy, residents were forced to call in the media after it became clear that paving was being considered while underground pipes were actively leaking.
“There is clear confusion on the ground as to who is responsible for addressing leaking pipes; whether it is the contractor or the National Water Commission (NWC). That level of uncertainty points to a breakdown in policy direction and inter-agency coordination,” Newell said.
Following excavation, roads were left in a significantly degraded condition, with works stalling for months due to the absence of critical materials, including pipes that were reportedly not yet on the island when construction began.
“This points to a failure in sequencing, planning, and oversight,” Newell added.
(A section of the road surface to Tremolsworth)
Today, both Killancholy and Tremolsworth remain in a state of disrepair. Roads are marked by large craters, and during rainfall, they become muddy and dangerous, severely affecting residents’ ability to move safely and conduct daily activities.
“A project that was promised in weeks and has now stretched beyond a year cannot be justified. The people of Killancholy and Tremolsworth deserve better. They deserve competent execution, transparency, and respect,” he said.
MP Newell is calling on the relevant authorities to take several measures, including: providing a clear and binding timeline for completion; clarifying responsibility between the contractor and NWC for all pipe-related works to make the roads safely passable;
