Barbados should have an amended draft Physical Development Plan (PDP) within a year.
This disclosure came today from Chief Town Planner, Mark Cummins; and Partner in Urban Strategies Inc., Melanie Hare, during a press briefing at the Barbados Cadet Headquarters, Garrison, St. Michael.
Mr. Cummins announced that the amended Plan would be developed by Urban Strategies, in association with Ecoisle Consulting Inc.
The Chief Town Planner said the consultants, and the Steering Committee, made up of a large number of officials from government departments, had extensive week-long discussions and had made significant progress in various areas.
He added that a team with the necessary skills sets in areas such as planning, cultural heritage, climate change, tourism, coastal zone management and ecology had been put in place.
???Because of the multi-disciplinary nature of planning, we have put all of these different professionals together. Similarly, on the Government side, we have put all of these ministries and agencies together, for example, the Drainage Division, Natural Heritage Department, Ministry of Transport and Works, the Environment Protection Department and the BWA, to form a Steering Committee so we can have collaboration between the committee and the consultants.
???[We want] to ensure that we end up with an amendment to the Physical Development Plan that will chart Barbados??? land use, land management and certainly growth in a sustainable manner over the next 10 years,??? Mr. Cummins stated.
Mrs. Hare pointed out that Urban Strategies Inc. had also worked on the previous Plan, and said it was an exciting project for her organisation, an exciting moment in Barbados and a very important project to embrace.
According to her, the work programme for the PDP would include five phases. ???We will be working on island throughout the year to deliver review and technical analyses to develop some options for growth??? [and we will be] addressing some of the challenges facing the island,??? she stated.
She added that strategic environmental assessments would also be conducted, and stakeholders and members of the community would have opportunities to participate in the process.
sharon.austingill-moore@barbados.gov.bb