Parliamentarians will now be notified of all planned works by beachfront owners in their constituencies, MP for St James North Edmund Hinkson announced Thursday.
Residents are also to be notified of the scope and timeline of any work being carried out that will inconvenience their access and use of the beach.
This decision comes in response to concerns raised by residents about the sudden inaccessibility of local beaches without adequate notice.
During the Parish Speaks monthly town hall meeting in St James on Thursday, resident Samuel Inniss, a fisherman, surf instructor and lifeguard, voiced his frustration over the lack of communication regarding construction activities near the beach.
He called for signs or notices to be placed in the vicinity of these works and suggested utilising other communication methods, such as radio ads, to ensure that the public is effectively informed.
Innes further stressed the need for a national plan to protect beaches and proposed the creation of detailed profiles for each beach, providing the necessary information for both tourists and nationals.
“I would like to know if there is any national plan for the protection of our beaches and access to them. Is there also any profile for the beaches so tourists can know what each beach is like and what to expect? Tourism is our business; that’s what the government always says. If we know the tourists come here for beaches, why isn’t there a plan to protect our beaches?” he questioned.
Inniss criticised the current state of accessibility, particularly pointing out a marl road obstructing a beach in Sandy Lane.
“Right now, there is a big marl road on a beach in Sandy Lane, and there is no billboard telling you what work is being carried out,” he said.
“It should be a national policy that if you’re carrying out any work on the beach, you need to put up a billboard saying who is doing the work, what work is being done, the length of time it will take, and what it is going to achieve so people will know what’s going on. As a fisherman, I can’t walk across the beach properly. It’s disheartening.”
In response, Hinkson acknowledged the challenges of receiving timely updates regarding ongoing works in his constituency.
“I was overseas, and I started getting messages about three areas in my constituency where work was going on. I knew nothing about it because there was no notice given,” he said.
He told the audience that a meeting was convened on Tuesday with Corey Lane, the acting environment minister, Coastal Zone Management Unit, Planning and Development Department and other stakeholders to discuss the matter.
“We left there with the clear understanding that the area MP will now be given notice in writing of any works that have been applied for to be done by these beachfront owners,” he said.
“Secondly, all the people within the vicinity of the works will be formally written and told that works will be going on and that it will be a bit inconvenient for you because you can’t wake up one morning and go to the beach that you’ve been going to for years and find suddenly that you can’t get through because there’s a big crane or rocks on the beach… that’s not fair to Barbadians,” he said noting that the notices to be given are just protocol, as “there is no law on it”.
Hinkson also pointed out that while projects might be promised to take two weeks, they often extend beyond that timeframe. This too, according to him, will also come in the form of notices.
“I have told them they need to write to the MPs and locals to say they’re running into some difficulty so the work may take a little bit longer,” he said, adding that the issue of beach access was also raised in the meeting.
St James Central MP Kerrie Symmonds supported Inniss’ concerns regarding inadequate notice and beach accessibility, admitting that “they are true”.
He further acknowledged: “Many of the [beaches] are becoming a danger because they need to be lit.
“People are leaving the beach in the dark… In many cases, this is now something we have to look at and dedicate resources to make them more accessible, better maintained, and safer.”
He further shared that conversations with the relevant authorities are ongoing to address these concerns.
Senior Minister for Town Planning, Development and Infrastructure Dr William Duguid, who was also in attendance at the Parish Speaks session, stressed that the role of the Coastal Zone Management Unit is to protect the island’s beaches.
He explained that in cases of emergency repairs, beachfront owners may not have the time to navigate the normal planning process, which involves notices and environmental assessments.
Dr Duguid also confirmed that there is a national beach plan in place and that if profiles do not already exist, they need to be done.
St James South MP Sandra Husbands suggested a comprehensive approach to protecting the beaches as part of Barbados’ heritage.
