A registered beach access near the historic Pedro St. James site that was blocked for safety reasons will be reopened to the public once appropriate signage is posted, Chief Inspector of the Public Lands Commission Winsome Prendergast has confirmed.
The blocked access, located at the end of Pedro Castle Road east of Pedro St James Castle, was brought to the attention of the Cayman Compass by a member of the public who had noticed a padlock on a wooden gate at the entrance to the access.
The Compass visited the site and found the gate locked.
Additionally, private property signs and warnings to trespassers had been posted on the wooden gate.
Checks with the departments of Lands and Survey, and Planning, confirmed that the closed-off entrance was actually a registered public access that runs from the main road to the ironshore.
When contacted about the blocked access, Prendergast told the Compass, in a telephone interview Monday, the closure had been authorised by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and the commission.
“The only reason it was closed off was because of the danger to the public,” she said.
In a follow-up email Prendergast clarified that the decision to block the access followed concerns raised by police several years ago after a spate of drownings and a disappearance in the vicinity of the beach access.
“The PLC [Public Lands Commission] in its inception inherited the blocked access which was done by the owner as a result of a request from the Police. The police have the authority to block any road, or pathway to preserve life. They are the competent authority in mitigating risks and threats to members of the public,” she explained.
The Chief Inspector added that “the risk and threat posed by using the location is tangible,” referring to events which had taken place at the site before the beach access was blocked.
In 2011 and 2012, respectively, Justin Henry, 16, and Adam Rankine, 21, were killed after jumping from the cliff by Pedro St. James, which had been accessible at the time from the path.
In addition, the car belonging to dental nurse Kerran ‘Kerry-Ann’ Baker, who was last seen on 30 July 2011, was found near the graveyard across from Pedro St. James.
Baker is regarded as missing and presumed dead.
Prendergast said as a result of these incidents and others, the police decided to close the access and the Public Lands Commission agreed to keep it closed until signs could be posted.
“To this end a decision was made to remove the blockage after the acquiring of proper signage warning the public of the danger associated with the location should they decide to use the access in question to get to the shoreline. This decision to maintain the blockage in the short term is… a common sense approach to a dangerous situation,” Prendergast said.
She pointed out that while the path is registered as a beach access there is no beach there for the public to use.
“I have no issues with opening the gate, but it is a threat to public safety,” she said in her telephone interview.
The chief inspector said the commission is in the process of procuring new signage for the spot to notify the public about the danger at that access as well as signs prohibiting swimming.
Anyone who uses that access does so “at their own risk”, she added.
The signs, Prendergast said, should be posted later this month.
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