Weir: Careful analysis done before putting houses on arable land

UPDATED: Saturday, April 20, 2024
Below is the corrected version of an article entitled NO HARM, published on Friday, April 19, 2024, from an interview with Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir. Barbados TODAY apologises for any inconvenience that may have been caused to Mr Weir by the inaccuracy in the sub-heading and lead paragraph of the original story.

Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir has assured that no permission will be given for arable land to be repurposed for housing development if it will have a significant impact on the island’s agricultural sector.

Amid protests against a proposed housing project at Newton Plantation in Christ Church, which would see 12.2 acres of land being subdivided into 58 residential lots, Weir insisted in an interview with Barbados TODAY that approval is granted for such change of use only after careful consideration and analysis to determine that the island’s food security is not at risk.

He said his ministry usually consults with the Planning and Development Department (formerly known as Town and Country Planning).

“Barbados has a mixed approach with housing and agriculture and you have to have that synergy. If land is being used to do further housing development, it wouldn’t necessarily hurt agriculture. We usually give our opinion before Town Planning permission is given. If it is a case where we objected, Town Planning would hardly give permission. But if there is a case where there is already a precedent we tend to support it because it is already a precedent,” he said.

Earlier this week, Bannatyne, Christ Church residents complained that the neighbouring area where a housing development has been earmarked was cultivated in sugar cane, and taking the lands out of production would negatively impact the island’s sustainable development and increase its reliance on imported produce. They also said they were concerned that the area was also part of a watercourse and questioned the impact of the housing project on the nearby historic Newton slave burial ground.

President of the Barbados Agricultural Society James Paul also sided with the residents who filed objection letters about the proposed development. Additionally, he raised concerns about land at Drax Hall Plantation in St George being used for government housing.

Weir stressed, however, that agriculture “cannot always rely on open field farming”.

“And that is the reason why we have taken the approach to go to green housing as well and we are taking the approach to go toward hydroponic farms; so there has to be a mix of approaches to agriculture,” he said. 

“If we try in Barbados to continue doing agriculture on open fields you are going to continue seeing lands in cow itch and bush because people have difficulty accessing water and you have a lot of people that simply don’t want the hard work associated with it. That is a hard core reality.” 

The proposed housing development at Newton is still going through the planning process and no decision has been made as yet.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb