Frost: Protect the beaches
Efforts should be made to halt any further tourism development on beachfront land on the South and West Coasts of the island.
That’s the view of Patrick Frost, retired teacher and veteran trade unionists. Frost was one of close to 100 persons who attended the first of six Community Meetings on the Draft Physical Development Plan (PDP) held on Saturday evening at the Princess Margaret Secondary School, during which the Community Plan for Six Cross Roads was outlined.
He raised the concern about beach access, as he contended that the PDP should stipulate that no new hotel development will be allowed to take place on the seaside of any public road in this country. The trade unionist said this is currently the case for the Ermie Bourne Highway and is adamant that a similar position should be taken in respect of the South and West Coasts of Barbados going forward. He made the point while lamenting that previous development of that kind has also seen hotels utilising prime beach land for their guests’ recreation, to the detriment of Barbadians.
“One of the concerns that some of us have, is that as soon as you allow hotel development on the beach, you create beach residences. If you don’t know what I mean go and look at Browne’s Beach, go and look at Sandy Lane, go and look at the Crane Beach and you see two acres of land, beach land, taken up with umbrellas and deck chairs – that’s a beach residence,” he said.
Frost acknowledged the argument that the provision of those amenities provided employment for people, but he said it was also preventing that area of beach land from being utilised by Barbadians. He bolstered the point as he indicated that the once popular pastime of beach cricket at Rockley Beach had virtually died off, because of the nearby hotel’s use of the beach area close to their property.
“The same thing would apply to other beaches; that is why in your development plan, reference should be made that the management of our beach resources is critical and important, particularly in areas where there is already that particular direction taken,” he stated.
(JRT)