Foul Bay Beach is inarguably the most spectacular ocean view on the east side on this island, once one has left Oistins. This remains true until one comes again to Martins Bay. It is also the last accessible open window to the sea between those points.
From the time one makes a right turn at St Martin’s Church, the presence of the open window is immediately felt in the cool and refreshing difference of the air. Driving straight ahead towards Ocean City, the view of the sea becomes clear and the quiet stillness of this peaceful neighbourhood washes over one.
Residents and visitors alike walk the 150 yards or so from the mainland towards the ocean where they can sit on a huge rock and gaze upon the vast raw, unbridled and unspoiled beauty of the seemingly never-ending Atlantic Ocean, where locals brave the waves and currents to ‘take a dip’ most mornings. People of all sorts picnic, camp out, have wedding ceremonies or beach parties and enjoy the beach unimpeded. Scores of visitors to Comfy Lodgings have revelled in the hassle-free, serene, emptiness of the beach where they can truly relax away from the usual hotel environment.
Can be developed
It is unsurprising then, that those with the means would see how the area could be developed (as are many areas of the island) in such a way to earn millions of dollars for the investors. It is also not beyond the imagination that the prospect/possibility of sharing in this wealth would captivate the Government and citizens of a country where the dependence on tourism is evident in the slogan, “Tourism is Our Business, Let’s Play Our Part”.
Given the proliferation of hotels on the West Coast and the almost total obliteration of the view of the ocean there, one would think that those in whom the populace has reposed its trust, the leaders of the nation, would begin to discuss those aspects of our flora and fauna which are not for and will never be for sale.
The island has limited space and limited resources. It ought to be the right of Barbadians to retain those aspects of Barbados which attest to its beauty. Fundamental to this is the right to preserve not only beachfronts, but beachfront approaches.
The coastline is a limited resource and there should be the urgency to also preserve coastal sight lines and to retain full and direct access to the most beautiful of the ocean views with which we are blessed. Certainly Foul Bay Beach and its environs should be enjoyed by the entire world, not just the “moneyed” few.
Total distress
Hence my total distress at the proposed Pure Resort and Spa approved to be constructed across 17 acres of land directly in front of the open windows of Foul Bay, stretching from Gully Road all the way to Sargeant’s Park.
A speaker at the “ground-breaking” ceremony informed that there would be 300 condominiums and over 3 000 visitors a year. The architect’s drawing, posted at the ending of the rocky lane used by visitors to get to the 100 or more steps leading down to the beach, shows an enormous all-consuming development. The resort will consist of nine buildings, six stories high.
Should the construction of this project come to fruition, the familiar, much-loved view of that ocean space, the last open window on the southeast coast, will be no more. Here are the questions which need to be addressed and to which answers ought to be forthcoming.
Does the Government recognise Foul Bay Beach as a national treasure? Is there a policy about how we as a people want our landscape to look? Are we comfortable with a hotel of some sort on every available beach space? Are there any places in Barbados which by national or parliamentary dialogue and decisions have been considered ‘sacred’ and consequently not for sale?
When such land is privately owned, has the Government the right to acquire the land in the best interest of Barbados? Is there a policy which governs the types of structures both commercial and residential, which are given permission to build in front of coastal sight lines? Are there formal agreements with developers regarding long-term hiring and agricultural supplies?
Are there town hall meetings which allow residents to voice their concerns? Is there any investigation into the backgrounds of companies which control the developments? Has any thought been given to encouraging developers to refurbish and/or rebuild tourism projects already established? Has an ecological study been conducted on the effects on the beach habitat and its environs?
I truly understand that in many ways tourism has become our number one business. I also sincerely believe that the best of what is ours ought to be preserved for Barbadians and visitors alike for generations to come, and that both parties must be able to recreate and refresh themselves without unnecessary encumbrances.
On behalf of the people of the Foul Bay community and the visitors from all over the world, I call on the Government of Barbados to:
a) review the decision to permit the construction of Pure Resort and Spa which proposes to build nine six-storey buildings directly facing the Foul Bay Beach.
b) initiate the widest possible dialogue in order to facilitate the project without doing damage to the aesthetic and cultural heritage of Foul Bay.
– Mona Robinson, resident and homeowner, Foul Bay, St Philip.
