CH&PA gives defiant restaurant owners 28 days to shut up shop

Jan 23, 2019 News

The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) yesterday sent out a Contravention Order to the owners of ‘Georgie’, a popular Chinese restaurant in Diamond, East Bank Demerara, who were refused a building permit a year ago. The order gives them four weeks to shut up shop.
The operations, along the Diamond access road, has been angering residents of the nearby upscale residential area who said they are affected by the smell of oil, and th

The Chinese restaurant in Diamond that is facing imminent closure

e fact that the zoning regulations do not allow it.
In January 2018, Georgie’s application for a building permit was turned down by the CH&PA’s Board of Directors.
Under the regulations, CH&PA has to approve plans before the necessary licences from the Guyana Revenue Authority are issued.
However, the situation of ‘Georgie’ has raised several questions about the country’s capacity to enforce, as well as the growing problem over zoning, or the lack thereof.
In the case of the Chinese restaurant which appeared to have flagrantly violated the regulations by defiantly continuing its operations with permission, the owner, Jingxin Dai, received a Letter of Refusal dated January 29th, 2018, from CH&PA.
It informed the Chinese owner of Lot 1113 Section ‘A’ Block ‘X’, Great Diamond, that his application for the establishment of a Food Restaurant and Malt and Wine Inclusive for the same address, had not been approved.
The application was refused by CH&PA’s board on January 19th, 2018, the letter disclosed.

However, the restaurant continued its operations, without any permits.
It was in August last year, seven months after, that the Golden Grove/Diamond Neighbourhood Democratic Council wrote Jingxin Dai indicating that the application was refused.
The restaurant was ordered to cease operations within three days of receiving the notice.
How the NDC did not see that the Chinese restaurant was continuing its operations on a busy public road where hundreds of vehicles traverse daily is what is puzzling angry neighbours.
According to CH&PA officials yesterday, the Contravention Notice will give the restaurant 28 days.
CH&PA has no intentions to grant approval, Kaieteur News was told.
If the owners refuse, legal action will be taken, the authority said.