Dear Editor,
I have lived in Subryanville for approximately 60 years. During this time Farnum Playing Field has only seen temporary structures. In earlier times it was the tents of the then annual Phagwah Mela and more recently the tents for the cash grant distribution. This open community space has been used by the residents and others for exercise, football clubs from beyond the confines of the neighbourhood and is open to the public for recreational usage. However, after the fire at the uninsured Mae’s Schools earlier this year, an event which threatened other surrounding private property, the school was temporarily allowed to house tents on the eastern portion of the ground.
A new school year is about to begin; there are no tents however there is now construction activity on the eastern part of Farnum Playing Field. An artist’s image of the proposed building is on the site fence. On Thursday 28 August 2025 I decided to investigate what was being constructed in the community space. I met Mr. Sugrim who informed me that they were erecting “temporary” buildings to house the school, claiming to have Mayor & City Council permission. When asked to see the permission of which he spoke I was briefly shown a piece of paper with neither the Mayor & City Council letter head nor any stamp of that authority. The request for a photocopy of that document and permission to photograph were refused.
It is indeed curious that the then Mayor & City Council and the then Ministry of Communities both refused to permit the previous owners of Mae’s Schools exclusive right of usage at the eastern end of the field. Then there was a different Mayor and also different owners of Mae’s Schools. Are the rules now also different; thereby allowing private businesses/enterprises to use community playing fields while there are many available buildings for rental in other locations?
More curious is that the school, which according to the signage at the entrance into the eastern part of the field where construction is currently ongoing has an extension at Farm, chooses to build “temporary” building/s in a community playing field and not at Farm. The current road network connects the east coast Demerara, Georgetown and environs to Farm on the east bank Demerara very easily and efficiently.
And even more curious is that there is much construction happening on the “temporary” location in Farnum’s Playing Field but there is no construction happening where the uninsured school was previously housed in Third Avenue. Is this an attempted landgrab of community lands as was previously undertaken in other residential neighbourhoods? Will the entire playing field be eventually permitted by the Mayor & City Council for private usage?