Green Party proposes Langley Park airport

by Kenara Woods

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party has proposed Langley Park as an alternative to Argyle for the construction on an international airport.

And Green Party general secretary Ordan Graham has driven home his party’s view that the Langley Park site would cost significantly less than the $480 million price tag proposed for the Argyle facility as he addressed a press conference on Thursday 15th at the Scouts Headquarters in Arnos Vale. One point he made to support this argument was that fewer persons would have to be moved from Langley Park to make way for an airport.{{more}}

Graham said that a Langley Park airport would cost only $220 million to become fully operational. He said that serious considerations must be taken into account, such as an environmental impact, socio-economic impact, financial implications and cost to taxpayers, justification and a national consultation.

He also lamented that St.Vincent and the Grenadines could not afford a capital project beyond $300 million without introducing severe austerity measures dictated by the World Bank and IMF.

Supporting his general secretary, Ivan O’Neal, leader of the Green Party added that there would be substantial national benefits to be derived from constructing the International Airport at Langley Park.

His Green Party administration, he said, would immediately establish an Airport Building Foundation and would urge every Vincentian to contribute EC$20 or US$20 per month for one year.

With 150,000 persons contributing this amount, he said, the minimum raised would amount to millions.

In O’Neal’s view, the construction at Langley Park would see tourists being able to access this country at ease and not be deterred at neighbouring destinations. “Getting an International Airport by 2011 is unrealistic, We can do better than the party establishing the airport” said O’Neal.

He also said that the Green Party Administration was capable of delivering the facility before 2010 without the sale of any public lands as proposed by the ULP.