Developers knock Owen’s analysis

FORMER PRIME MINISTER OWEN ARTHUR has been taken to task by board directors of the North Ridge Development Company Limited, over statements he made concerning the planned development at Pickering, St Lucy.While addressing a Christ Church West Barbados Labour Party constituency branch meeting on July 18, Arthur said he did not intend to be disrespectful but questioned how many people would want to invest in St Lucy. He linked that comment to the level of money required for investment and the recovery of capital and return earnings.Arthur charged then that the developers did not have any money and had to borrow $600 000 from an Irish company to cover basic pre-investment costs. But in a statement yesterday, directors of the company described Arthur’s comments as “shocking” in terms of the “low perception” of St Lucy as a potential area for development.“They imply that St Lucy is not a fit place for development and foreign investment, with the implication that it should continue to languish behind other areas of Barbados and notably, his nearby constituency – St Peter. “There [Arthur’s comments] are impliedly dismissive of similar development efforts at North Point and the site of the former US Naval Facility,” the statement said.It continued: “While he was in office, Mr Arthur’s party manifesto trumpeted the potential of Nesfield and the nearby Pickering area as a potential area for urbanisation and development. “As Prime Minister, Mr Arthur endorsed the current physical development plan with its proposal for development along the lines North Ridge is pursuing.”The release also stated that the board of directors was surprised Arthur was silent on the stagnation of a number of high profile foreign-driven development projects in St Peter and St James and elsewhere in Barbados that had been adversely affected by the collapse of the international financial sector and economic projects that he might have promised.The statement also indicated the “non-existence” of a memorandum of understanding [MOU] between North Ridge Development Co. Ltd. and an Irish company.Arthur had earlier alleged that North Ridge had entered into a MOU with a company from Ireland to borrow money to pay basic fees.Arthur said then there had been a groundbreaking ceremony in St Lucy to create the image that something was happening in Barbados.