Anglican history repeating itself
Published:Thursday | August 25, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Erica Virtue, Senior Gleaner Writer
After threats to forcibly confiscate lands belonging to the Anglican Church which house the Nuttall Hospital in St Andrew, without the permission of the church which owns the property, ripples are still going through the diocese as some view it as history repeating itself.
The property, which houses the hospital, St Hugh's Preparatory School and the Anglican Church House, is owned by the Incorporated Lay Bodies of the Church of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, according to the Reverend Ernle Gordon, rector of the Church of St Mary the Virgin.
"The lands on which King's House now sits was owned by the Church of England and was the Bishop's Lodge. Sir John Peter Grant (former governor of Jamaica) dislodged the bishop, and essentially sold himself the property and 200 acres of land that is now King's House. The £5,000 he gave for the lands was used to purchase the Nuttall lands," a well-placed Anglican source told The Gleaner.
Gordon chuckled when he heard what the source had to say, and added that there are at least 100 acres of land located in Irish Town belonging to the church.
"All of the lands in Jamaica which were owned by the Church of England were transferred to the Jamaican Diocese by Queen Elizabeth II in 1964," he said.
Managing director of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), Joy Douglas, in an address last week, suggested the government agency had its eye on the Nuttall property as part of the Cross Roads redevelopment programme.
Worrisome posture
It was her statement that "there are plans by the prime minister to amend the UDC Act that will do away with a clause that forces the corporation to acquire land before engaging in redevelopment activities", which sent ripples of anger through the diocese.
The church, in swift reprimand, said the posture of the UDC was worrisome, and it was further concerned that the plans were being contemplated without the diocese's involvement.
Douglas was forced to backtrack on Tuesday after Prime Minister Bruce Golding made it clear the Government had no intention to forcibly take any property belonging to any individual or entity.
However, some members of the diocese said they were uncomfortable.
"Can you imagine the UDC, another agent of the state, forcing itself on Anglican property? This is history repeating itself," The Gleaner source said.
The UDC, in a release said it sought to open dialogue with representative of the property board of the Anglican Diocese of Jamaica, which culminated in a meeting with board members on July 11. However, Gordon said any letter sent to that body would be null and void as it cannot sell the lands without permission from the diocese.
The agency in its statement said it regretted "any misinterpretation of our intention and process".
In a release late Wednesday night, Golding's office reiterated that the prime minister "has no designs or intention to take over the Nuttall lands in Cross Roads which are owned by the Anglican Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands".
The release stated that Golding said the UDC had made proposals for amendments to the UDC Act, but noted that those proposals had not yet been considered by the Cabinet and were still at a preliminary stage.