Gumbs pushes back: Earlier VROMI decisions created the tree situation, not my transfer

GREAT BAY--Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs pushed back on claims by former VROMI Minister and current MP Egbert Doran that he misled the public about the Simpson Bay grape tree incident, explaining in Parliament that the relevant land and permit history predates his tenure and that his 2025 signature related to the transfer of already existing parcels, not the creation of new development rights or permission to remove the tree.

The exchange unfolded after MP Doran stated that, as former Minister of VROMI, he had signed many building permits and land-related documents, including a permit dated May 17, 2023, for parcel Madeleine 64/1963 to build a dwelling. Doran then argued that a later 2025 extension or related document was signed by Minister Gumbs and accused the Minister of blaming him for the tree being cut down.

However, the discussion shifted after MP Raeyhon Peterson pointed out that while the current Minister may have approved an extension or transfer in 2025, the document appeared to be tied to “Meetbrieg 205 of 2022,” meaning the original decision to approve that land action was made in 2022. Peterson stressed that VROMI records and numbers matter and asked that all facts be brought forward.

Minister Gumbs later told Parliament that the documents before him showed a 2023 request to the Cadaster to measure parts of the beach and issue the relevant land documentation. He said the land was “requested and issued in 2023,” while the building permit for the parcel was also issued in 2023. He described his 2025 signature as a transfer that “basically takes those two parcels that already exist” and moves them through the administrative process.

In other words, according to Gumbs’ explanation, the 2025 action did not create the original land right or the original building permission. It dealt with the transfer of parcels that had already been created through earlier decisions. The Minister stated that the parcel was requested and issued in 2023 and that the building permit was signed by the then Minister, now MP Doran.

Gumbs further clarified that the deed connected to parcel 205 of 2022 was for garden use. He said that where the deed is being followed and the purpose remains the same, there must be a strong legal or structural reason for a Minister not to proceed with a transfer. He told Parliament that once land has already been deeded or a permit has already gone through the proper review process, a Minister cannot arbitrarily stop a permit or withdraw land without solid grounds.

His position was not that he had no role in signing anything in 2025, but that the 2025 document must be understood within the legal and administrative chain that began before his tenure. He argued that he was not signing a new building permit for a house or granting fresh permission to develop the area, but completing a transfer process tied to earlier approvals and existing parcel rights.

Doran pressed the Minister further, asking whether the 2023 building permit gave permission to knock down the tree, whether the boundary line was close to the tree, and whether any extension being handled by VROMI was connected to why the tree had to be removed, whether intentionally or by mistake.

Gumbs responded that the original parcel 64/1963 and the extension granted under the 2022 decision placed the boundary “right in the middle of the tree.” However, he agreed clearly that the tree did not have to be knocked down. He said this had already been agreed with the Ministry of VROMI two weeks earlier when excavation works were discussed. According to the Minister, something different occurred on site, which is why a stop order was issued.

The Minister also stated that he had not received or approved any revised drawings. When asked again about revised plans, Gumbs said he had never mentioned a submission of revised drawings and had not approved any. He added that if revised drawings were somewhere in an internal process, they had not reached him for approval.

Gumbs also rejected the suggestion that he had personally accused Doran of authorizing the cutting of the tree. He clarified that his point was about who signed the relevant building permit and who signed the documents that created or advanced the land position. He said he never stated that Doran had signed permission to remove the tree.

On the actual tree incident, Gumbs confirmed that the tree had been placed back upright after the Ministry intervened. He said the contractor was brought back, additional help was contacted as a backup, and persons remained on site late into the night to assist. The Minister said the tree symbolizes more than the physical object itself and thanked those who came out and assisted with the response.

The Minister’s overall explanation was that the key decisions establishing the land and permit framework were made before his tenure, while his 2025 involvement concerned the administrative transfer of parcels that already existed. He acknowledged that the boundary situation was problematic, but maintained that the tree was not supposed to be cut down, that VROMI had communicated that beforehand, and that the Ministry responded by issuing a stop order and assisting with the replanting.

Gumbs also used the exchange to make a broader point about VROMI’s need for stronger legal and enforcement tools. He said the Ministry is working to hire additional inspectors, improve the Permits Department, and develop stronger legal instruments to protect areas such as Mullet Bay and other environmentally sensitive locations. He also said the Ministry is not ignoring Parliament’s motion (from MP Darryl York) on coastal and environmental protection, but is grouping several related issues into a broader zoning effort.

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