We felt the comment by BU family member Ian Walcott was important enough to be highlighted – David
The West Coast Model of Development is problematic for a number of reasons. It shows up the inherent weaknesses of a small island open economy where land as a tradable good is indeed very scarce. In many instances, the rapid real estate exploitation (because that vulgarity is not development) of the West Coast occurred because of the following:
- Phenomenal economic growth in the UK over the last 10 yrs; The search for real estate investment opportunities and getaway vacation homes in warmer climates (Barbados, Dominican Republic, Tobago, Spain, Portugal, North Africa);
- The creation of new wealth sectors fueled by dramatic growth in the IT sector, telecommunications, banking. This created new wealth for speculators, accountants and lawyers in the City (London);
- A favorable exchange rate of the British pound against the US dollar to which our currency remains pegged (though we’ve be advised differently).
We must remember that we are an open economy that respects the right to ownership…
However, there should have been some degree of government intervention long time ago (at least by the year 2000) to protect the following:
- The delicate West coast shoreline and other environmental concerns in the area (the sewerage output is a serious problem; the increased use of cement has created overheating of the area; continued drainage problems);
- The shite happening on the West Coast is draining foreign exchange – the transfer of ownership is transacted outside of Barbados, 90% of the materials for construction is imported; 65% of the labor is non-Barbadian and a significant portion of their salaries is converted to US$ and remitted to the their countries of origin;
- The impact this increased demand caused on poorer citizens who lived on the shoreline for centuries and were in many ways forced to sell their land (Hilary Beckles’ research has shown that former slaves we sent to live on the rocks of the West Coast because the land was not fertile…ironically the rocks now have artificial value and we’re being pushed back inland, now that the sugar cane lands have no value)
- The social backlash whereby we have two distinct socio-economic realities sitting side by side. You simply cannot have exorbitant wealth on the coast and your citizens still with ‘out-houses’ and dilapidated chattel houses on the opposite side of the street. This is planting the seed for social unrest.
- Unchecked development where developers were allowed to create gated enclaves that literally shut citizens out. There are little or no public spaces for parks, sports, or general public green spaces for the benefit of all. In fact it’s not uncommon to see the maids, gardeners and cooks waiting at the bus stops at 4:30pm leaving the villas where they are not welcomed after hours…(this is a 21st century Belleville and Strathclyde)
- An artificial and highly manipulated demand for land that pushed prices way beyond the reach of the average Barbadian. I say artificial because most of the demand was for the coast line…but it caused a panic among the citizenry who felt that land was running out and this psychological factor (fear) also pushed up the demand and sent land prices through the roof…so in a sense the demand is more psychological than market-driven.
This vulgar West Coast model of development has also impacted on our basic way of life, the art market and a whole host of unwanted shite in the supermarkets that is wasting precious foreign exchange. Finally, it has not created any value added level of employment…a few cooks, gardeners and maids… I trust that we’d take a leaf out of the USA’s book and bring to justice, those who are responsible for manipulating the real estate market for their own selfish ends and bringing undue hardship to the vast majority of Bajans…
40 responses so far ↓
BajanPrince // June 26, 2008 at 9:34 PM
All o’ dis talk bout development in Barbados does mek me suh vex. I wish dese foreign investors would cah duh mess some place else. Duh messin up we Barbados. We as Bajans should stand up and help tuh stop all o’ dis development NOW!!!!!! Why don’t David Thompson do sumthing tuh STOP dis?????? Why not try tuh even knock down some resorts and condos??????? I swear I can wait till I become Prime Minister. I gin retain Barbados’s Beauty tuh what it once was. Wuh gine on wid Merricks I hope dem en still building de Hotel. Who is tuh blame fuh dese monstrosities, Owen Arthur???
I LOVVVE Barbados!!!!!
NO MORE MARINAS EVER AGAIN // June 26, 2008 at 10:10 PM
A very welcome post and thanks for keeping up the pressure on the West Coast rapists (whoever they are.)
Haven’t you noticed however we’re living in a country where our elected officials and business leaders don’t give a damn what you publish. They don’t even react to accusations that in many other countries would land them in jail.
Yet not once has the Advocate, Nation, CBC or Starcom acknowledged or covered the destruction of the entire beach, the building of monstrous beach properties and ever fewer beach access possibilities from Black Rock to Port St. Charles. And soon to be all the way from Six Mens to Maycocks.
Are we all to go on complaining and watch the powers that be just continue enriching themselves at the expense of the majority of fair-minded Bajans who see the wanton plundering of our limited resources and the destruction of our heritage? And are we powerless to stop it.
Isn’t there anyone incarcerated in the 4 main media houses brave enough to risk the wrath of the rapists by giving this tragedy wider public exposure.
Or are we to keep checking BU until the entire West Coast is lost to the unscrupulous gangsters and say “Oh no, not another toothless West Coast rape posting?”
David // June 27, 2008 at 3:12 AM
We can’t blame the foreign investors can we? The permissions are all given by the Town Planners and our politicians. We find it ironic, interesting as well that Town Planning permissions are dished out with such efficiency to construct the monstrosities on the West Coast in recent years but permission to activate a Wind Farm at Lamberts Plantation is tied up in red tape.
Go figure!
JC // June 27, 2008 at 6:43 AM
David and NMMEA we as a nation need to stop the governments from destroying our two most cherished institutions: the family and the village. We allow them to destroy our land and our crops. Most importantly there are now attempting to destroy what makes us the same and that is our comradrie spirit.
I am talking about the spirit that bids us at times to socialise with Ms. White, Blackman, Clarke etc. and their grandchildren down by the beach. The spirit of peace and tranquility that we can find we take a drive to any beach and look at our majestic ocean which seems to calm our inner qualms. Or the spirit of happiness, when we can go to the beach and although we might not know a stranger we can play a game of cricket since they have the ball. These days are disappearing. There are hardly any accessible roads to any of our ’solace spots’
The truth of these words is beyond doubt, but the mission to which they call us is not as difficult as it soundsne. I JC come to this blog to make a passionate plea to my beloved nation to read and understand that our children’s future depends on the decisions our governments make. I do not want my children and hopefully, great grand children look at me with tears in their eyes and ask: “why didnt you say something” They watch as we poison our water, as we destroy beautiful beaches and loose acres of arable land to concrete monsters. This madness MUST STOP!
JC // June 27, 2008 at 6:45 AM
DLP WE HAVE PLACED IT IN YOUR HANDS!
Krzysztof Skubiszewski // June 27, 2008 at 6:53 AM
No more marinas – Yes, why do we hear nothing about the plundering of Barbados’ beaches from the Advocate, Nation, CBC and Starcom?
Can someone inside the Advocate, Nation, CBC and Starcom tell us why? Anonymously of course.
xenophobe chick // June 27, 2008 at 7:13 AM
Now showing – “The Silence Of The Media” – a stunning demonstration of corporate power where the bosses profit from wrecking our beaches and intimidate their employees so that nothing is said positively or negatively about the loss of our West Coast for everyone.
JC – you say “I do not want my children and hopefully, great grand children look at me with tears in their eyes and ask: “why didnt you say something”
When they ask you can always tell them you did say something but the professionals who are supposed to be our watchdogs kept their mouths shut. Shame on them.
David // June 27, 2008 at 7:18 AM
Think about it X, don’t you get it? The power players from foreign are connected to the power players from local. The power players from local are responsible for spending the 80% of the money in our media space. Do you recall for example who is the sponsor of the Sunday Brass tacks?
THE MEDIA IN BARBADOS IS CONTROLLED BY THE SPONSORS! REMEMBER WHAT WAS THE FIRST REACTION WHEN LEROY PARRIS WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE COVERAGE WHEN CLICO EMPLOYEES DECIDED TO UNIONIZE? HE YANKED HIS ADVERTISING FROM THE NATION.
Chris Halsall // June 27, 2008 at 7:41 AM
With regards to the “media” here in Barbados… David is correct; it is all about the advertising revenue…
Please remember that for a brief period of time, I had a series of articles in the Barbados Advocate, discussing the high costs and poor quality of telecommunications services in Barbados.
After a short while, lawyers became involved… I was informed “my department was instructed not to publish any more articles from you”.
I then tried contacting the Nation, to continue informing the public. Please note that not a single article on this topic has appeared in either newspaper since March…
Do not expect this to meekness to change any time soon….
xenophobe chick // June 27, 2008 at 7:51 AM
David – I get it. Oh how I get it. And it happens in every country from Austria to Zimbabwe.
But Barbados seems to be the only country where media insiders who know the facts are so scared they daren’t tell us the truth in BU or BFP.
World Citizen // June 27, 2008 at 8:12 AM
There is on significant factor that everyone seems to forget when talking about land in barbados, there is ONLY SO MUCH, and as much as we want to keep it all in our hands, which some of it will go to waste and not make a penny, not even in labor to help up keep it. there is ONLY so much AND everybody will not be able to own some of it. that is just how it is. If i remember correctly barbados is in the top 10 in terms of population density to go along with the fact that we are small to start, and with the fact that there are water protected zone. But i am telling you , if any of us were in a position to make a million dollars profit for a small piece of land, we should all sell it, even if we have to live on culpepper island. In everything there is trade offs, and when the politicians and lawyers and bigs up making their nuff money and living in luxury and a small man gets offers a lot of money, figures that we cant even count for a piece of his land, why should he not sell it ,just because it is BARBADOS? now tell me who going to give him that sort of money for anything? How in his lifetime will the poor man make that sorta of figures? … just to say oh i aint sell it, it remains in bajan hands……
Krzysztof Skubiszewski // June 27, 2008 at 8:28 AM
World Citizen – there would be no problem if Barbados had ultra-strict coastal ZONING LAWS.
And someone with the balls to enforce them.
Krzysztof Skubiszewski // June 27, 2008 at 8:51 AM
That last sentence should read – “And someone incorruptible with the balls to enforce them.”
JC // June 27, 2008 at 9:21 AM
I think we need to look at the bigger picture WC.
OUR HERITAGE!
Diaspora-ite // June 27, 2008 at 7:49 PM
Krzystof S, exactly!
The biggest landowner in Barbados is, you guessed it, the GOB. The majority of rab land despoiling this island belongs to, you guessed it, the GOB: not COW, not CLICO, but GOB.
JC, as World Citizen has pointed out, unlike Guyana, Trinidad and Jamaica, which have always been land-rich and people-poor, Barbados has for a long time been land-poor and people-rich. All the more reason to do as you suggest and protect our heritage.
If I were the Minister responsible for lands, I would immediately:
– Plough up and return to agricultural production, all rab land in Barbados.
– Double or triple the land tax on all agricultural lands that are not producing crops.
– Order the TCPO to deny all applications to convert agricultural land to residential use.
– As they do in the major cities of Europe, offer small agricultural plots to citizens for peppercorn rents, in order to encourage small-holding agriculture. And aggressively prosecute those convicted of praedial larceny to encourage production of ‘kitchen garden’ agriculture.
– Ensure that all golf-course developments, such as Apes Hill, have their own sources of water and force the use of recycled, non-potable water for golf-course irrigation.
– Institute an immediate review of all major coastal condominium development, currently underway – like The Sands – and pending – like Beachlands – including the permit-granting process. There are far too many anomalies in the permitting process. Why do some get approved, and others get turned down?
– Finally, all developers who attempt to block windows-to-the-sea get an immediate visit from the local constabulary, followed by a bulldozer to force open any so-called blockages that may have been erected.
This will take officials with “cojones muy grandes.”
JC // June 27, 2008 at 9:14 PM
Refreshingly true Diaspora-ite!
Hants // July 13, 2008 at 4:22 PM
It is truly sad that after so many years of Independence and so many changes of Government; with well qualified Town Planners and Traffic Planners, no one has done anything to preserve reasonable access to the Beach on the West Coast.
It is not too late to expropriate some land from West Coast Hotels to create “windows and pathstto the sea.”
David // July 13, 2008 at 4:43 PM
@Hants
If we are to guess from the posture of the government it seems to us that they have given up on the West Coast and plan to legislate the use of the remaining coastline. That is we will have development but within some plan yet to be revealed.
Hants // July 13, 2008 at 5:04 PM
@David
Government should legislate the use of the remaining coastline but they should also expropriate land as necessary to create access to beaches at 1 mile intervals from Bridgetown to speightstown.
Ambitious but it can be done.
Bush tea // July 13, 2008 at 8:22 PM
It would be so easy to establish windows to the sea all around this Island that I am amazed that we consider this a problem at all…
The problem is that we misunderstand the value of our environment and of the coastline in particular to our primary business – Tourism.
Let us say that our tourism product is worth $2 Billion per annum, and that 70% of that is attributed to our unique coastline and beaches being available for public and tourist use(or what ever research confirms). This puts a value of something like $4000.00 per foot on out beach asset.
What stops the Minister of Finance from applying a tax of X% per running foot on all private properties within 50 yards of the high tide mark and falling between the public road and the beach line…(which obstructs a major national asset).
Anyone wishing to build, or continue living, on property that is so valuable to our tourism product must be prepared to pay the true value of having exclusive use of such a valuable piece of real estate.
In a few short years, our coastline would either be returned to its rightful public status as the blockers either demolish their monstrosities or pay the equivalent value of their blockage to the national economy.
….a tax of the order of $40,000.00 per 100 feet of coastline per year seem appropriate to Bush tea in the present circumstances.
What windows to the sea What?!?
…we want back our beach view…
The same way that we can apply this approach to ZRs, and even cell phones, it can be done with this issue!
Diaspora-ite // July 13, 2008 at 10:11 PM
Bush Tea wrote, “Anyone wishing to build, or continue living, on property that is so valuable to our tourism product must be prepared to pay the true value of having exclusive use of such a valuable piece of real estate.”
Good idea in theory but, particularly on the West Coast, a great number of sea-front properties are owned by “ordinary” Bajans and they are living on these properties in their chattel houses and wall-houses. If the GOB does as you propose, these property owners, not only monstrosities like The Sands, will be caught up in the punitive-oceanfront-tax net that you are proposing, and will have to pay accordingly. One solution would be to introduce such a tax on all new construction and leave current properties untouched.
“What windows to the sea What?!?
…we want back our beach view…
What about ridge land, or country views? If you propose empowering government to compulsorily acquire “beach view” land, you are also proposing a double standard of justice, something which may be impossible to carry out given that Barbados is signatory to many international conventions and protocols which guarantee certain rights, freedoms and duties on the parts of its citizens and residents.
BT, following your logic to its ultimate conclusion, what if the GOB decided that Barbados needed to introduce mandatory car-pooling into Bridgetown from remote parking lots on the outskirts of the city? And one of these enormous parking lots was going to be in Bank Hall, an area that was built almost entirely with Panama Canal money, and an area of immense historical and social significance in Barbados? Can you imagine the outcry? “Dem can’ do dat!” Why not?
West Coast development is indeed a sore subject, and many of the projects are complete eyesores. But we are talking about more than just the issue-of-the-month here. As I said in an earlier post, it will take a TCPO with some beeg cojones to say no to some of the planned projects…including Kellman’s Folly: an airport for the north of Barbados. Now there’s an obscene and ridiculous idea if ever there was one!
Bush tea // July 14, 2008 at 12:01 AM
Diaspora,
A number of ZR owners are poor small businessmen, do they pay the same taxes and operate under the same rules as the big group owners?
In the tenantry Act, do you know how many ‘poor’ small people who held a few acres for their grand children were caught up in the move to provide these lands to the occupiers?
If Beach land is deemed to be worth it weight in gold to the national economy why should a few have the right to obstruct the overall national interest and pay peppercorn taxes?
…no disrespect D, but talk about ‘international conventions’ and protocols is just plain JUNK.
Most serious countries have absolutely rock solid ownership and land use policies in place that are 100% in the interest of the national strategic objectives….. even massive countries with land to spare…. But I don’t expect Non Bajans or West Coast expats to see this my way…
If we can acquire a piece of land to extend a highway why can’t we tax our high value land at appropriate rates?
…and what is the problem with an airport in the north? apart from its lack of economic feasibility? I fail to see the comparison with the ridiculous mess on our west coast.
David // July 14, 2008 at 5:39 AM
@Bush tea
You always coming with these outlandish ideas like if you think we want to chase away the foreign dollars. We need those dollars man! How do you want to make the rich aliens feel not welcome by levying a bigfoot tax?
What JUNK what, highest economic value man !?!
Bush tea // July 14, 2008 at 6:16 AM
…such low self esteem David.
Visitors will only come to your home if you allow them to set up permanent residence in your master bedroom – with your wife?
…. there is a thin line between tourism and national prostitution yuh hear? and in Barbados it mark in pencil…
You have no problem with taxing the ZR men, or the little grandmother with a cell phone (or Bush tea’s extensive properties LOL), why do you have a problem taxing RICH folks who feel that they can afford to live on Paradise beach?
What chase way what?!?
MORE people will want to VISIT a country whose natural assets are properly displayed and available to be enjoyed….
….you just trying to work your reverse psychology on BT this good morning…
Diaspora-ite // July 14, 2008 at 9:39 AM
Bush Tea, I am in fundamental agreement with your proposals. The point I was trying to make is that if the GOB, through the Land Tax Dept, assesses coastal properties at a significantly higher rate, then those Barbadians who continue to own and occupy ocean-front land on the west coast will also be caught up in the assessment. Otherwise it would be considered discriminatory to say that Mrs. Cumberbatch’s chattel house on the sea in Fitts Village is OK but the “big house” next door is not and must pay a special levy of $XX per linear foot of ocean frontage. A court challenge could result. Having said that, however, there is a precedent for non-residents paying higher property taxes than residents. Naples, FL, e.g. charges non-residents of Florida higher rates of property tax than residents.
Most countries have gone to a “market-value assessment” policy WRT land values. Obviously ocean-front lands on the “platinum” coast should be assessed much higher than rab land in the inland areas of Barbados. I don’t know if the Land Tax Dept follows this same method but they should.
I guess that we’ll have to agree to disagree about the airport for St. Lucy, or the northern part of the island. The minute the project is announced, the NIMBY Syndrome will become operative.
Have a great day, and keep up the good postings.
Bush tea // July 14, 2008 at 7:28 PM
I see your point Diaspora-ite, but as Albert Einstein once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
My position includes the situation where locals also impede access to our priceless beaches, spoil the vista with unkempt and poorly maintained properties etc.
UNLESS they contribute to the tourism product, I have no problem with ‘encouraging’ their relocation inland.
This is identical to the approach we would (should) take, if we found persons residing in such a manner that endangered our water supply; threatened our national health or even corrupt our school children with dirty music.
I consider this a problem that can be put away with a stroke of the PM’s pen – and far from costing the country $$ to buy windows to the sea, would make large tracts of beach front publicly available again – being too valuable to be the preserve of one person or family.
…so David, Einstein explains why Bush tea is always “coming with these outlandish ideas”….
actually (for MME’s information) -this habit is just preparation for PHASE 2, where a completely different level of thinking will be in place… LOL
Micro Mock Engineer // July 14, 2008 at 9:53 PM
LOL BT…
I am here listening to Vaughan Williams’ arrangements of Eventide and Dominus Regit Me while conducting some ‘Phase 2’ research that would make Dr. Porgie proud… LOL… time is such an interesting mental construct… I hope your project calculations aren’t trapped in Euclidean space.
Bush tea // July 15, 2008 at 6:04 AM
…Great taste MME, now that is the kind of music we need on ZRs…. LOL
…and excellent research material – No wonder Bush tea can’t get the last word against you.
….by the way, that Twin Otter comeback was great – Bush tea continues to be at a loss for a response….
LOL- my project calculations are sound…. fret not
David // July 17, 2008 at 6:28 PM
No that there will be more of a focus on the South East coastline a BU family member has reminded the authorities that the public beach access to the Crane Beach is perilous.
Straight talk // July 17, 2008 at 6:54 PM
Perilous? David, man what you saying?
Indo-Guyaneses waiting to slit your your throat and rape your wife whilst you negotiate those “perilous” stepping stones?
I revelled in the freedom of your unrestricted blogs , but you are now hijacked on an agenda with which you may agree but in the end will be self-defeating.
If BU really interprets as Barbados Uber Alles
then the path you have chosen may well end up talking to the same six people in a very small cyber-space.
As you well know, I’m as much a pessimist re: our energy supplies, as you are re: illegal foreign influx.
I see, and agree with your view, but am concerned by the vituperative far right contributors you have attracted, and who now dominate your posts.
Best wishes for your continued success.
Anonymous // July 17, 2008 at 8:10 PM
David
Stay free and unintimidated.
You could always tell when you are rocking the boat.
Stay strong man,and continue to stay on course.
ROK // July 30, 2008 at 11:15 AM
I wonder if you would take your child and sell it into slavery because it did not do as you expected in school?
I wonder if you would put your mother and father on the street because they had become old and decrepit and no longer productive?
So why would you want to put those people who (simply because they don’t have the money) are not keeping their property to the liking of certain people’s eyes? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder… and don’t tell me about taste because taste is about corrupting your taste buds.
Being in a developmental mindset, my take would be to come up with a twenty developmental plan. All those people with beach front properties should be assisted with a special fund to help them grow and improve their properties little by little so that over the twenty years, these properties are well developed.
I am always fearful of foreign dollars because if you as an investor (at that level) put in $1.M you will be looking to take out anything over $2.M. Hence my take on industrialisation by invitation (same policy anyhow only different name) is that it served to further send us down the drain.
Furthermore, if I am a producer and I find a haven in Barbados for five years to make my product, why should I leave my production line intact for you to take over and then compete with me when I move somewhere else? At the end of the five years, I will do all that is necessary to ensure that you can’t compete with me. So it never could have worked.
Even the Americans when they were leaving made sure that we could not utilise the base as they could. Filled up the place with concrete, including the passage to the sea.
We need to build wealth. Like planting crops and nurture them to grow so you can eat and sell the excess. This is not rocket science. It is about simple earthly principles that will not change with the software. It will not update and it has no viruses or even macros.
If you don’t put in the time;
you don’t drink the wine!
Even if you drink somebody else’s wine;
it aint yours to drink all the time.
Get yuh own wine!
ROK
Chris Halsall // July 30, 2008 at 3:09 PM
@ROK… Namaste.
(Just for the record.)
Quotatable Quotes By Key Actors On Barbados West Coast Development « Barbados Underground // September 22, 2008 at 1:29 AM
[...] an interesting article yesterday (20 September 2008) about the development of our West Coast. The BU family has been a great advocate of questioning the high-octane development occurring on the West [...]
kisteria jordam // December 30, 2008 at 2:35 PM
Why do bajans do so much talking and no action to follow.It is not now that this foolishness has been happening. When are we going to demonstrate and cause a ruckus and let these damn people know that the beach belong to we.
dulal gain // February 12, 2009 at 7:10 AM
sorry,Iam now unemployed. my father is a death do.my now try search job no. Iam in deaf sorry job family. name :- dulal gain.
Tony Larue // May 19, 2009 at 8:08 AM
I trust that we’d take a leaf out of the USA’s book and bring to justice, those who are responsible for manipulating the real estate market for their own selfish ends and bringing undue hardship to the vast majority of Bajans.
I agree totally with the person who wrote the above.
A great visionary by the name of Errol Barrow once said though not exactly in these words “One of these days Barbadians are going to wake up and find they do not have a country”
Whiteman // May 22, 2009 at 2:18 PM
They building another marina next to PSC – just so you all know. This whole thing is going to lead to riots by Bajans against all of this shite. It is too late to stop it now.
By the way the US is a joke! The Dems are just as bad or worse than the Repubs. Fire them all!
Gear Box // May 22, 2009 at 10:07 PM
lawyers are trained servants who serve those that pay the most. Who you tink running dis country an’ who you tink dey servin’ ?
Gear Box // May 22, 2009 at 10:07 PM
…
AAAAAAAAAAAghhhhhhhhhhhhhh