The Planning and Development Department is probing several cases of beachfront property owners along the West Coast attempting to illegally extend their boundary lines in the wake of damage caused by Hurricane Beryl, Barbados TODAY has learned.
Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU), Dr Leo Brewster, confirmed that the department had been alerted to these violations and is taking action. He said some beachfront businesses have been exploiting the erosion caused by the hurricane to construct structures beyond the legally established boundaries.
Dr Brewster told Barbados TODAY: “With the passage of Hurricane Beryl between June 3 and July 2, there was a lot of damage on both the West and South Coast . . . several locations along the West Coast were impacted significantly, especially places like Paynes Bay, Gibbs Beach, and Lower Carlton. That resulted in a lot of property damage where seawalls and shoreline protection structures, like revetments and guard walls, were totally wiped out in some properties.”
He added that while most properties have adhered to regulations during repair works, there were instances of businesses failing to comply with guidelines agreed upon on-site. These cases have been referred to town planners in the Planning and Development Department for further action.
“The repair work or restoration work to the guard walls and sea defence protections are to be reinstated pretty much back into the original position. It can’t come further seaward or further forward than where the line of defence was before . . . we’ve had a couple of properties that have not adhered to that . . . and they have been reported to town planning for the necessary action.”
Director of the Coastal
Zone Management Unit (CZMU), Dr Leo Brewster. (FP)
Dr Brewster explained that the CZMU is working closely with the town planning department to manage the post-hurricane recovery. This involves an engineer from the CZMU and a coastal engineer representing the property owner assessing the damage on-site, agreeing on the necessary repairs, and submitting an application to the town planners.
He also warned that extending property lines beyond the original boundaries is not only illegal but also harmful in the long term.
He said: “Some people might think that since there may be no direct point of reference because the original line has been lost, they can come forward and claim more land . . . But then they place themselves in the active beach zone where the waves are always breaking . . . And in doing that, once the water starts to hit those structures when they start to build them, it would remove the sand and they would then be contributing to their own demise.”
Dr Brewster urged beachfront property owners to respect the established boundaries and follow the guidance of the authorities. He noted that the CZMU advises applicants to keep their structures in line with neighbouring properties to allow sufficient space for natural beach processes.
“We have been discouraging them from doing that . . . . We normally encourage people to stay in line with their neighbour, not come any further forward, and try to ensure that if you have sufficient space in front of you, you set back as far as possible because . . . the beach is naturally the first line of defence, and then the beach will come back.”
While only a small number of property owners have attempted to extend their boundaries, Dr Brewster reiterated that they should comply with the agreements made on-site with relevant agencies.
He also highlighted the significant damage caused to the beaches by Hurricane Beryl, noting that its storm surges removed between three and a half to seven feet of sand from beaches along the West and South Coasts. Recovery, he said, typically takes six to eight weeks, but some beaches are taking longer to heal.
“We have to try to allow time for the beaches to recover naturally unless you have property damage,” he said. “The reality is, if you rush in too soon and put boulders in place or start to try to rebuild the wall further forward than where it was . . . you then will displace the sand that is normally going to come back onto the beach . . . and then you will literally lose the opportunity for the beach to either build back as wide as it used to be or to allow the beach to recover to its normal position.”
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
