The Town and Country Development Planning Office. (FP)
Thirty-six current and past members of staff, who have spent 25 years or more at the Town and Country Development Planning Office (TCDPO), will be honoured tomorrow, Wednesday, November 9, during a ceremony, in which a plaque, bearing their names, will be unveiled.
Craftsmen of our Physical Landscape is the theme of the event, and retiree Ivor Downes, who spent all 43 years of his public service career at the TCDPO; and Loftus Douglin, who has been with the Office for 42 years, will unveil the plaque.
Over the years, the 36 honourees have worked at the administrative, technical and professional levels of the organisation, and the ceremony is also intended to celebrate their contribution to Barbados’ development.
Chief Town Planner, Mark Cummins, underscored the value of rewarding the hard work and dedication of those staff members.
“The human resource is the most important resource to any organisation. As a regulatory agency, the work of the TCDPO to Barbados’ development over the years does not get the level of positive publicity which it deserves.
“We have an excellent planning system which was developed over the years, and it serves as one of the hallmarks of planning in the region. We share our best practices widely with our CARICOM colleagues. We are probably the only planning agency in CARICOM which consistently amends its Physical Development Plan as is required by statute,” Mr. Cummins stated.
The TCDPO was set up in the late 1950’s using the interim Town Planning Act as its legislative guide. The Town and Country Planning Act, Cap. 240, which came into operation in July, 1967, is the legislative authority under which the Chief Town Planner and the Minister responsible for Planning get their decision making power.
The TCDPO was established to ensure that development in Barbados was orderly and progressive, that is, sustainable and harmonious.
This Friday, November 11, will also see health checks and a Customer Appreciation Day for staff and the public at the Town and Country Development Planning Office, Block “C”, the Garrison, St. Michael, between 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
This is one of three activities held this week to celebrate World Town Planning Day, which is observed annually on November 8, in 30 countries. It is a special day to recognise and promote the role of planning in creating livable communities.
For additional information on the Customer Appreciation Day, members of the public should call 535-3000.
sharon.austingill-moore@barbados.gov.bb