The future Bridgetown must not simply be a place, but an experience, declared City of Bridgetown Member of Parliament Corey Lane on Tuesday.
In his contribution to debate in the House of Assembly on a resolution to approve the Barbados Physical Development Plan as amended in 2023, Lane, who endorsed the plan as visionary, insisted that the capital cannot remain just a place where people go shopping.
“Bridgetown must become that place where you go to, not as a place but as an experience. So when you go to Bridgetown, you got to be going for the experience. So you got to bring music and culture into Bridgetown. This is what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna make it a place to go,” he said, adding that the pull factor was needed to increase the traffic.
Lane assured that Bridgetown would not lose its historic value, significance or beauty, despite the changes.
Endorsing the physical development plan, he said he was “comforted” that the architects of the plan understood the vision.
The City MP stressed that the redevelopment process must be linked to empowering people, particularly the residents of The City, to enjoy a high standard of living.
“We cannot talk about the development of Bridgetown and The City without understanding that with development comes employment,” he said. “So when we talk about what’s in this for me, more employment opportunities mean more, and sometimes better, employment for you and your children. That is what this development plan can bring to Barbados.”
He further pointed out that the provision of housing was a critical issue, expressing concern about the number of derelict buildings in the urban corridor.
“People need housing solutions. So, instead of getting housing solutions for vectors, for rats, rodents and mosquitoes, what they [The Ministry of Housing] are working on and rightfully so, is how do we convert this environmental problem into a housing solution? Because the fact of the matter is we have a housing crisis in Barbados. There are many people on the brink of homelessness, there are many people living in unsanitary conditions and then we [have] people that are just homeless,” he lamented.
Lane also underscored that the physical development plan must address traffic and cleanliness in The City, and make provisions for pedestrians and people living with disabilities.
He assured his constituents that he will press to have a seat at the table as discussions continue about the redevelopment of Bridgetown. (SD)
