Parliament is expected to soon deliberate on the controversial sale of the beachfront property currently housing the Holetown Civic Centre, alongside plans to establish a new facility at nearby Trents, St James.
Recent activity at the Trents site has fuelled public speculation, with tractors clearing the vast area of land last month.
However, when contacted for comment, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Economic Affairs and Planning Marsha Caddle offered limited details, stating only she had no update at this time but that the matter would be brought to Parliament shortly.
Sources have indicated that the sale of the Civic Centre to the owner of the Insurance Corporation of Barbados Ltd for the development of a hotel remains on the cards. This persists despite opposition from many Barbadians, some of whom have marched against the sale.
No application
When contacted recently, Government’s director of planning and development Rudy Headley said his department has not yet received any application for development at the current Holetown location. However, he confirmed that an application submitted by the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. on January 11, 2024, for the erection of a new Civic Centre at Trents, was approved on March 26, 2024.
Regarding the approval process, Headley noted that two objections were received.
“The issues would have been considered in the assessment of the application and relevant concerns would be reflected in conditions attached to the planning permission,” he explained.
He revealed that one objection cited a lack of proper notification, claiming the billboard was blurry and located in a bushy area. Additional concerns included drainage, privacy, security, lighting and traffic flow.
However, Headley noted that this objector concluded that the complex was “fundamentally welcomed” but questioned how the implementation was being handled.
The second objection focused on the relocation itself, citing the distance from the Holetown centre and other amenities. Concerns were also raised regarding the visual impact of the new site and the Government’s decision to sell the current Civic Centre land for private hotel use.
Debate sparked
Former minister with responsibility for planning, Dr William Duguid, first brought the matter to the public’s attention last year, sparking debate and outrage among certain sectors of society as well as visitors.
At that time, he explained that under the Land Acquisition Act,
Government would acquire almost 75 000 square metres of land at Trents to construct a new complex. The facility is slated to house the police station, courts, Barbados Revenue Authority, post office, library and other services currently located at Holetown.
He further revealed that the Government intended to spend around $200 million in Holetown and its environs, with the new civic centre estimated to cost about $40 million. Additionally, an 80-room hotel had been proposed for the existing site, with an estimated price tag of $172 million. (MB)
