Bushy Park plan ‘on the cards’

THE successful staging of Soca Royale at Bushy Park has given greater significance to the St Philip site as an entertainment facility.And, according to Minister of Housing and Lands Michael Lashley, the development of a modern cultural and entertainment facility there “can start as early as next year”. “Based on the positive results and remarks so far from Soca Royale, it now gives a further impetus to develop Bushy Park as a modern entertainment and cultural facility. That is on the cards,” he said.Lashley also confirmed that Bushy Park had become a state-owned property and there were already plans for 2 000 housing solutions and a modern car racing track and entertainment facility.He said the 2000 housing solutions would be split between lower and middle-income earners.“We can guarantee about 2 000 houses at Bushy Park and we are maintaining the racing track. We will be looking at a proposal to develop a modern racing track and entertainment facility.”Lashley said he and Minister of  Sport Stephen Lashley had already met and looked at plans for the area.The Housing Minister said residents of the surrounding districts would have to be included in plans for the development of Bushy Park and meetings were scheduled to update them.Lashley, the Member of Parliament for St Philip North, said he hoped event planners the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) would include him on the organising committee for next year’s Soca Royale.“I am confident the National Cultural Foundation will maintain Bushy Park as the venue for Soca Royale and I want to suggest to them to make sure that some of the residents, and even myself as MP, sit on the organising committee for the event.“Obviously for the first year, there were some glitches but basically there must be a representative voice on the organising committee for the Soca Royale since it is one of the biggest shows on the entertainment and Crop-Over calendar.”Lashley said he was delighted that Bushy Park was now state property and had been acquired under the Land Acquisition Act.“As Minister of Housing, I went to Parliament a couple of months ago and the matter was debated in the House of Assembly and then the Senate.”