Anegada Residents Demand Urgent Land Action
Anegada residents used a constitutional reform consultation to press government officials for faster resolutions to long-standing land and ancestral claims, saying generations have waited too long. Officials said land distribution for Anegada is the first item for the new Crown Lands Management Board and pledged continued work to secure deeds and access to services.
Residents of Anegada pressed government ministers for quicker action on long-standing land issues during a constitutional reform consultation on the island, saying delays have left families waiting for generations and blocked basic access to services. The public meeting included Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley, Deputy Premier Julian Fraser and members of the constitutional negotiating team, who were in Anegada to discuss proposals for constitutional advancement and greater local governance.
While the consultation focused on governance reform, several residents used the forum to demand faster resolutions to boundary, ownership and ancestral-land claims. One resident recounted decades of stalled claims relating to the Proctor Estate and the human cost of the delay. "I have watched my grandmother dead.
These are the heirs to the Proctor Estate. From 1991, we have correspondence that we have sent to the ministry trying to settle this estate. To this day, it ain’t settle," the resident told officials. Premier Wheatley acknowledged the frustration and said the delays weighed on him personally. "That is something that plays on my mind.
It plays on my conscience," he said, adding that inability to obtain deeds prevents people from securing electricity, water and financing. "If they can’t get access to deeds, they can’t get electricity to their homes, they can’t get water, and these are basic rights that people should have," he said.
Government officials told residents the recently established Crown Lands Management Board will take up land distribution in Anegada as a priority. The Premier said his administration intends to ensure residents receive deeds that will allow them to access utilities, secure financing and develop their properties.
Ninth District Representative Vincent Wheatley underlined the island's unique needs, noting that Anegada maintains its own airport, seaport, clinic, school, fire station and power grid despite a very small population. He argued that Anegada requires a tailored approach to land and services compared with other districts.
Residents warned that consultations must lead to tangible results. "It can no longer be about come, tell us something, pacify us, leave us go, and nothing happens. And the process starts over," one attendee said, calling for clear timelines and visible action. Officials said discussions on land distribution and ancestral claims will continue through the Crown Lands Management Board as the government pursues constitutional reforms.
For Anegada residents, the next step will be watching whether promises translate into deeds, utilities and settled estates that have long been overdue.
Primary source: BVI News