Barbados will be the only nation in the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) to have a Physical Development Plan if both the House and the Senate agree on the latest amendment.
That was the information coming from Dr William Duguid, Senior Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office when he was introducing the Resolution: Barbados Physical Development Plan 2023, amended 2023 in the House of Assembly yesterday morning.
The Senior Minister believes that despite the plan being late in its implementation, if it does get passed, it stands to be of great benefit to Barbados.
“It is a significant piece of work and a tremendous document that adds to the Barbados landscape,” he began. “It is intended to provide a vision for sustainable growth and development of the nation by setting up policies to guide the relationship among land use, built form, mobility, community facility and physical structure.
“The plan addresses major issues and opportunities such as land scarcity for agriculture, future large scale sub divisions for affordable housing, transport challenges, preparing for climate change and transitioning to a green economy as well as protecting cultural heritage.”
The document also includes nine community plans that will provide more detailed direction to support sustainable development.
Duguid explained: “These plans provide strategic land use and built form policy to guide development in each area by taking into consideration the unique character of each community area.
“The community area specific policies are designed within the national planning strategy to accommodate steady state growth that focuses on reinvestment in existing settlement areas and community cores. It will also address the scarcity in food, water and land as well as create healthy walkable communities for the present population and the diverse and ageing population of the future.”
The community areas for major growth are:
Bridgetown, St Michael
Speightstown, St Peter
Holetown, St James
Oistins, Christ Church
Six cross roads, St Philip
Warrens, St Michael
Wildey, St Michael
Belleplaine, St Andrew
Bathsheba, St Joseph
Duguid added “These plans build on the previous planning policy in each area and detail specific and local policy directions in terms of sustainability, land use, built form, placemaking, public realm, natural heritage, infrastructure and heritage on its own.”
The Resolution: Barbados Physical Development Plan 2023, amended 2023 builds on the Planning and Development Act 2019. (JC)