Govt unveils $1.6m beach access rehab 

A $1.6 million national beach access rehabilitation programme was launched on Wednesday, aimed at improving public safety, accessibility, and environmental resilience along the island’s coastline, as part of a wider effort to ensure all Barbadians can enjoy the sea with dignity and ease.

The initiative was officially launched at Folkestone, St James, where Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Adrian Forde, described the project as a carefully planned, science-based intervention designed to improve access for all Barbadians.

“What you see here this morning is not a whimsical exercise,” Forde said. “It didn’t drop out [of] the sky. It was based on serious scientific research, an analysis of our access points to our beaches across Barbados.”

More than 50 beach access points have been assessed islandwide, forming the basis of a national rehabilitation programme being implemented by the National Conservation Commission (NCC). Work has already begun at five beaches, combining hardscape infrastructure with nature-based solutions to address erosion, safety concerns and long-standing public complaints about access.

“We are happy today to say that we have started on five beaches so far,” Forde said. “We have started both the hardscape and the green scape because we recognise that we must have nature-based solutions to be able to stop our beach erosion as we know it.”

The upgrades include paved access areas, improved signage, bathroom facilities, recreational and lounge spaces, and ramps designed to allow persons with disabilities to safely traverse the beach and access the sea.

“This project must pass the moral test in terms of how we treat the most vulnerable in our community,” Forde stressed. “The disabled community must be part of the conversation of anything we do as a government.”

A key element of the programme is the use of trees and other greenery to provide shade and reduce the impacts of climate change, particularly erosion along the west and south coasts — an issue underscored by recent weather events including Hurricane Beryl.

“It’s well documented that those green solutions and nature-based solutions are less costly than hardscape and mechanical solutions,” Forde said.

Responding to public concerns about coastal development limiting beach access, particularly on the west coast, the minister assured Barbadians that the focus of the programme is preserving and improving free public access.

“As Minister of the Environment, I am responsible for making sure that the access is rehabilitated and the beauty is preserved,” he said. “This rehabilitation of the access points allows Barbadians to have a free beach access experience.”

He added that no coastal development can proceed without oversight. “Coastal is responsible for giving comments to every single project once it is within the scope of the beaches,” Forde said.

While acknowledging the estimated $1.6m cost of the programme, Forde said its value extends beyond finances.

“The cost for me as a minister is not about dollars and cents,” he said. “It is good old Bajan common sense to rehabilitate our beaches and to give all and sundry the good old Bajan experience.”

Acting NCC general manager Kerriann Jessamy said not all beach access points can be treated the same.

“We have just over 50 beach accesses, but all of them do not have facilities,” she explained. Of those with facilities, ramps will be installed to improve accessibility, while narrower access points that cannot accommodate ramps will be outfitted with signage to guide users.

Facilities have been erected at Folkestone, Brandon’s, Browne’s Beach and Dover and work has been completed on one access-only location, Sandy Lane, Jessamy said.

NCC technical officer Maria Harding said the programme was driven by the need to improve accessibility for groups that have historically faced challenges using beach facilities.

“The overall aim of this would have been to meet the need we recognise to improve accessibility for all users of the beach,” Harding said, pointing specifically to members of the disabled community, persons with physical challenges, and the elderly.

She explained that works include wheelchair ramps to facilities and designated access points to the beach, allowing all users to continue enjoying Barbados’ coastline.

“We can’t only focus on the tourism aspect; we have to bring it back to grassroots and take care of our own in that capacity,” Harding said.

Folkestone has been selected as the pilot site and has already seen several upgrades, including wheelchair access, designated parking, improved access to the boardwalk and beautification works. Additional renovations are planned for shower facilities to better accommodate persons with disabilities and the elderly.

Harding also confirmed that work is ongoing at other beaches, including the installation of clearer signage to make access points more recognisable, and improvements to wheelchair accessibility where feasible.

NCC chair Alicia Carter described the programme as a reaffirmation of national values, stressing that beach access is a right, not a privilege.

“The beaches are by far one of our national treasures, enjoyed by all Barbadians, all walks of life,” Carter said. “The beaches belong to we, and because the beaches belong to we, we want to ensure that access is not frustrated.”

She added that access also comes with responsibility, urging Barbadians to help maintain and protect the island’s beaches for future generations.