www.sams.sh THE South Atlantic Media Services, Ltd. Vol. 7,SENTINEL Issue 46 - Price: £1 “serving St Helena and her community worldwide” Thursday 21 February 2019 Community Against SHG Application for the conversion of Blue Hill School into a 5-bedroom dwelling for social housing New “The application fails to support Director for social development” Safeguarding ... page 4 ... page 3 New Tax Reforms to Affect Businesses and Individuals Five reforms proposed ... page 5 The Story of Anne’s Place ... pages 8-10 Weedkiller Supreme Court ‘Increases Risk Sentencing Delivered of Cancer by Speaker of the House and Lay Advocate found guilty by 41%’ jury and sentenced to 6 years of imprisionment for two counts of sexual assault, one count of indecent assault and ... pages 6-7 one count of attempted rape. ... page 4 2 www.sams.sh Thursday 21 February 2019 | THE SENTINEL THE SENTINEL | Thursday 21 February 2019 www.sams.sh 3 OPINION YOUR LETTERS ST HELENA NEWS The Obituary to “Mr Brian John and its expected revenues, and Dear Editor, the wildlife. The insects weaken and BUT why should they clean up after Fredericks: Friend of St Helena” ‘development aid’, which is used the birdlife eat the poisoned insects, the adults that leave it behind??? SENTINEL that was contributed in last week’s to pay for special ‘one-off’ projects As a recent first time visitor to the in turn this kills off both species. As a half SAINT I am proud to call Sentinel, should have read ‘Frederick’ like the Airport or the hospital island, I am in awe of how beautiful Therefore you are contributing to the myself one, BUT for how long will rather than ‘Fredericks’. refurbishment. Other sources of it is. There are two things which demise of endemic and non endemic this beautiful place stay as such? COMMENT inflows to St Helena’s economy concern me. species throughout the island. Soon PLEASE, PLEASE look after it. I Mic-kail Harris, SAMS Dear Editor, include payments for exports, such as 1. Considering you have such there will be none left, how very sad!! should like to come again and not fish, coffee and tourism, remittances a variety of endemic species, I am 2. Secondly, I was very aware find that another endemic species We as an island are moving towards I would like to reply to the letter concerned as to why you persist of just how many litter bins there are has become extinct!!! digitisation, and the upcoming from St Helenians working overseas from Mr Basil George published in or pension payments and any interest in spraying your verges with toxic dotted around, even in the remote Many thanks for a wonderful visit, (potential) installation of the fibre- chemicals. Whilst I understand why parts of the island. So, WHY OH WHY I’ll be back!!! optic cable to St Helena – according the 14 February edition of the Sentinel or revenues from investments held which asks several good questions abroad. you do it, would it not be better to is there so much litter?? It was lovely to SHG – could increase our internet employ someone to clear these? to see one of the local schools at Fiona Jinks (nee Peters) speed and create new opportunities for about the relationship between The statistical framework of GNI us all. Gross National Income (GNI) and does not provide a way to estimate When you spray you are poisoning Rupert’s Beach doing a beach clean! And in preparation for the hoped-for the amount of overseas aid St Helena St Helena’s annual GNI per capita cable, websites are being created to receives (GNI is a measure of the size excluding overseas aid, for the reach international users, to promote of St Helena’s economy, derived from reasons given above. But it would St Helena and provide business Gross Domestic Product, or GDP). Mr Blue Hill School Proposal Met with opportunities on-island. clearly be very much lower - the And in the present, social media has George is correct, I believe, to state latest St Helena Government budget already increased in popularity on St that the level of St Helena’s overseas estimates indicate that overseas aid Community Resistance Helena. Many are creating Facebook aid spent for the benefit of St Helena will provide two thirds of 2018/19 Andrew Turner, SAMS and Twitter accounts at the age of has in some years likely been higher government revenue. So without Few venues like Blue Hill School – decisions states that buildings in the 10, and SHG and Safeguarding have than the level of GNI, especially aid government expenditure might An application from SHG to which provides affordable indoor and Intermediate Zone (Blue Hill School informed school students on how to during the Airport construction perhaps only be a third of its current develop Blue Hill School into social outdoor camping options, room and is in this zone) cannot be developed stay safe on social media and have even period. But while this is unusual, it level. housing has been met with backlash facilities for community and social if the development is “materially released Social Media Policy booklets is possible - one explanation is that Finally, I would like to mention that from the community. events like sponsored walk meet-ups damaging to the amenity of existing for students and workers under SHG. a significant amount of the £51m the Statistics Office has an ongoing The SHG proposal would see the and Girl Guide retreats, a playground development.” Social media presence on-island is aid to St Helena in 2017 was spent expanding. Like has already happened programme to develop the measures community building, which is used (few others exist at all on the island) Considering that the Blue Hill to a greater extent in much of the rest on imported goods, such as the raw of economic activity that are used for camping, barbeques, Girl Guide and much more – exist on St Helena. School features a playground and of the world, businesses and also the materials to construct the Airport by policy makers and others. Our retreats and other gatherings, Cllr Yon however said the facility campsite (and also the option to younger generations on St Helena and the new wharf at Rupert’s. These objective is to help people make converted into a five-bedroom was being under-used. rent for indoor camps), the Blue Hill are becoming so dependent on social purchases do not directly add to GNI, better decisions with better data. This Government Landlord House (GLH). “Indications are that it is not fully community argues that removing the media that we forget about the word which measures the income earned is difficult work, since St Helena does The planning application shows that utilised for its current use,” he told public facility will be significantly “social.” by its residents, both people and not have the data sources that are SHG did not do any public consultation The Sentinel. “There is an urgent need damaging. This damage could also Even though social media is a great companies. typically available in larger and more with the residents of Blue Hill before for additional, cost effective GLH on include affecting functions at the way to get in contact with people GNI does not measure financial complex economies. An important putting the application – “Application the island.” Blue Hill Community Centre, located from afar, there is more usage of flows in and out of the economy and element of this programme was the 2019/17 for The Conversion of the social media than there of being social However in a Feb. 7 Sentinel article directly next to the School – the OUTSIDE. There’s always news about so overseas aid cannot be equated recent 2018 Business Survey, and Blue Hill School into a 5 Bedroom ENRD Director Derek Henry said whole lawn (of both buildings) a new website being launched, or with GNI to answer the question I am very grateful to all those that Dwelling for Social Housing” – to the funds in the region of £500,000 can become packed with vehicles pictures being posted on Facebook, but ‘how much of GNI is overseas aid?’ responded to the survey and provided Land Development Control Authority were, after years of inactivity, during community events, and noise how often do people or companies go Very broadly, though, ‘overseas accurate information. (LDCA). being released for the construction complaints from whoever would OUT to promote themselves? One way aid’ is made up of ‘financial aid’ to Councillor Russell Yon, Chair of the of this ‘urgently needed’ GLH reside in the proposed GLH could of promoting is going to “hotspots” support the difference between the Neil Fantom, Environment & Natural Resources accommodation; he failed to mention easily be invoked. where lots of people and tourists will Government’s planned spending Statistical Commissioner Committee, said this was because plans for converting Blue Hill School In their letter to the LDCA, Blue be gathered. When was the last time “anyone who has an opinion on into a GLH, despite discussing other Hill residents say the development this sort of promotion happened? the use of the building as a school plans for converting buildings to “Would have significant social And for personal use, kids turn on the internet and use valuable megabytes has an opportunity to express their GLHs and for building new GLH impact on the area that is currently “just to talk to a friend” for hours. views though the planning process, accommodation. used for recreational purposes. Surely if you want to talk to someone as defined by the Land Development Cllr Yon also told The Sentinel that “It is disappointing that given the locally you could go out and talk to Control Ordinance.” other camping facilities (a common popularity of the Field Centre as a them, as we live on a small island so So on Monday, Feb.