Government has plans to expand the urban corridor to which the Urban Development Commission currently caters.
Word of this has come from Minister with responsibility for Urban Development, Dr. Denis Lowe.
He said: “We are contemplating working on bringing the current definition of the urban corridor in line with the Physical Development Plan and that would mean that there would be an expansion of the areas of responsibility on the recommendations of that particular plan.”
Stating that his Ministry was very excited about this, he remarked: “It really gives us an opportunity to have a wider outreach to persons who are in dire need of help …”
He added: “If the Urban Development Commission gives us that window to reach people and to service their needs, then I believe Government needs to maximise that space and to reach those individuals. …We have to take on board the Town Planner’s perspective on the urban area and then we have to work towards improving our capacity at the Commission to deliver service to those areas.”
Minister Lowe also noted that this would result in “a major restructuring of the Commission” since it would mean that it would be operating over a greater space. “If we are going to have a larger space, we are going to have a different type of structure in terms of being able to deliver services across that space, and it will give us a wonderful opportunity…to create a better kind of framework from which to operate at the Urban Development Commission.”