Alien land-holding licences moratorium extended in Anguilla

[Anguillan newsboy]

THE VALLEY, Anguilla: The government of Anguilla has extended the moratorium on the issuing of Alien Land Holding Licences for another two months as from June 29.

The moratorium had been put in place to provide the government time to develop a policy on the alienation of land.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, which has responsibility for lands, a draft policy has been prepared, and the views of all stakeholders are to be submitted to a Review Committee.

The Executive Council has noted the recommendations presented in the draft policy paper and agreed that the paper should be further discussed.

The extension means that the Government, with immediate effect, as approved by the Governor in Council, has suspended acceptance of any new application for the purchase of undeveloped lots of land to build stand alone residential, vacation and/or retirement homes or small scale hotel and villa projects not previously approved, as well as the purchase of undeveloped land for other proposed business ventures.

Also affected are the purchase of existing vacation and/or retirement homes/villas or small scale hotel and villa projects, or other existing properties or businesses not previously alienated.

The current two month suspension also applies to applications for medium and large scale hotel and vacation real estate projects, new or existing, and to applications for the purchase of real estate other than tourism, hotel and vacation residential properties.

The suspension period for the acceptance and processing of applications does not apply to parcels of land sold or leased that have been agreed and approved for development to the sale of condominiums that have been already agreed as part of projects or have already been alienated.

Notwithstanding the two month suspension, the government of Anguilla has reserved the right to consider any application for an Alien Land Holding Licence as the particular circumstances of the case may merit or as the Governor in Council may otherwise consider.