PRIME MINISTER FREUNDEL STUART has reassured property owners in The City and its environs, who fear they will be disadvantaged by the UNESCO inscription of Historic Bridgetown And Its Garrison as a World Heritage site.
Saying that residents and owners had been “misinformed”, Stuart told them that neither Government nor UNESCO was seeking to disadvantage them and promised that they could, in fact, benefit from the inscription that would be officially established at next Wednesday’s historic ceremony at the Garrison Savannah.
“You may have been led to believe that the inscription will have a negative impact on what you can and, in some cases, cannot do to your property. However, one of the main reasons for our meeting here this morning is to provide an opportunity for the relevant agencies and so on to disabuse you of that notion and to demonstrate to you that this is the intention neither of the Government of Barbados nor UNESCO,” he told property owners at a breakfast meeting at Hilton Barbados yesterday.
Speaking to an audience that included historian Dr Karl Watson and Member of Parliament for The City, Patrick Todd, Stuart said the meeting would feature presentations from people who would clarify any major issues and put property owners’ minds at ease.
He added that while world heritage sites belonged to “all the people of the world because of their outstanding universal value”, the significance of properties in Bridgetown And The Garrison area would increase and be rated alongside France’s Cathedral Of Notre Dame, The Vatican, The Taj Mahal, Robben Island, and the ancient city of Damascus.
“It’s up to you to get the maximum benefit . . . to make the inscription work for you,” he said, adding that owners should do the necessary research on their properties which held valuable stories, find creative ways to attract visitors, and market the properties.
Stuart also reassured them regarding the possible high costs of restoration, noting that in the very near future Government would be finalizing the enactment of the Cultural Industries Development Bill, which would provide incentives for owners wishing to restore heritage properties. (RJ)
