Hoteliers and business leaders demand action on Negril’s filthy decline
Published:Sunday | March 23, 2025 | 9:36 PMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
In a startling outburst, hoteliers and business leaders in Negril have described the resort town – spanning both Westmoreland and Hanover – as filthy and are expressing deep concerns about its continued deterioration.
Senior hotelier Daniel Grizzle, who led a two-member delegation to Thursday’s monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation (WMC), highlighted the declining condition of the famous resort town while calling for stricter enforcement measures to address the issue.
“This beautiful place is becoming a slum. It is completely out of order, and every Jamaican should feel a little bit of shame seeing this once-beautiful place turning into garbage,” said Grizzle, who operates the Charela Inn Resorts on Norman Manley Boulevard in Negril.
Grizzle, a former president of the Negril Chamber of Commerce and Industry, lamented the unkempt state of the main boulevard named in honor of National Hero Norman Manley, describing it as shabby and unsightly.
“The main boulevard must be one of the worst boulevards anywhere in this part of the world when it comes to ugliness, shabbiness, and dirtiness,” he said, noting that the lack of enforcement is a major contributing factor.
“I believe one of the biggest issues is the lack of enforcement. The laws are there to protect and clean up the area, but enforcement is absent. Once people realise they can get away with it, everyone follows suit,” he added.
Stakeholders across the board have long complained that littering has become routine because those who defile the space know there are no penalties.
“Please sir, help us. We need more enforcers in the Negril area,” pleaded Grizzle, directing his concerns to Savanna-la-Mar’s Mayor Danree Delancy, who also serves as the chairman of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation.
Despite his criticisms, Grizzle praised the team of sweepers from the National Solid Waste Management Authority’s Western Parks and Markets (WPM) for their efforts, noting that with greater support, they could be more effective.
“The sweepers in Negril are doing a fantastic job, but as soon as they clean up, within 30 minutes you can see people throwing garbage out of their cars. Something needs to be done to prosecute and publicly shame these offenders,” said Grizzle.
NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT
He also expressed deep concern about the negative economic impact the current conditions could have on Negril, which has historically contributed significantly to Jamaica’s economy.
“Our guests come here for the beauty, not the mess,” said Grizzle in a subsequent interview with The Gleaner.
“Negril contributes greatly to the economy, but the current state is shameful. Tourists visit our town center only to return complaining about how filthy it is. It makes you feel small. We can excuse water pressure issues or power outages, but we cannot excuse the filth in which we keep our town.”
In response to the concerns raised by Grizzle, Delancy emphasised that addressing the issue requires the cooperation and involvement of all well-thinking individuals to drive meaningful change. He assured that no effort would be spared in seeking to have the matters addressed urgently.