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Plans To Build Another Marina In St. Peter Quietly Taking Root

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Heywoods Beach, St. Peter Being Prepared For Marina Development?
Submitted by BU Family Member

The BU family has been held extremely busy in recent weeks. It might explain our erratic scheduling of blogs on BU. We have not had a chance to read today’s news in print but received a note from our reliable source who corresponds on matters occurring on the West Coast of Barbados. According to our source, today’s Nation newspaper has reported that “a public meeting took place on Saturday last at Six Mens to gather local public comment about the island’s 2nd marina to be built at The Retreat, Six Mens, St. Peter.

Relying on our well placed source, the report in the Nation newspaper is blatantly misleading and can be accurately described as a lie. They are some who are willing to believe that the story was planted in the Nation by the backers of a plan to construct marina number two at Heywoods in St. Peter. The composition of the ‘group’ which assembled at the reported meeting can be described as White Bajans with no locals present. The meeting took the best part of 15 minutes and all the participants drove off in their SUV’s. No doubt pleased that they’d been through the motions of a public meeting.

Our source challenges the eye-witnesses who saw this sham meeting to confirm it for Barbadians to fully appreciate what is at stake.

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36 responses to “Plans To Build Another Marina In St. Peter Quietly Taking Root”

  1. NO MORE MARINAS EVER AGAIN Avatar
    NO MORE MARINAS EVER AGAIN

    Thank you for publishing these pictures. No.1 shows the catastrophe that happened on Heywoods Beach. This body of water was cut into the beach to allow boats in and out of Port St. Charles. It’s so wide it prevents anyone north of Heywoods being able to walk the beach to Speightstown as was the case previously.

    This can not happen again.

  2. Sundowner Avatar
    Sundowner

    I just can’t believe it, I’m so tired of hearing about these developments, is it ever going to end?

  3. Ian Bourne Avatar
    Ian Bourne

    I keep telling everyone, do NOT ignore the dead tree editions of Advocate & Nation – in today’s Nation newspaper Bjorn Bjerkhamn of Jada Construction was talking about this, but it was way inside, like Pg 15 and very small – he was actually pointing to one of these areas listed, I am sure!

  4. David Avatar
    David

    We have inserted image on sidebar ‘Heywoods Rape Scene’ which is linked to Google Earth. BU family members can zoom in and take a look. Don’t be baffled it is part of Barbados.

    Point to note. The new government appears to be still settling because on the issue of West Coast development we have not seen and discernible shift in policy. Isn’t this all happening in Haynesley Benn constituency?

    Image compliments of our BU family member.

  5. The scout Avatar
    The scout

    The more they CHANGE the more they remain the same. This is what makes this little rock such a great place to live.When the SLAVE SHIP due back here? Are they taking us free or do we have to pay? These fields and hill beyond recall was once our very own: not anymore. One day coming soon the people would wake up.

  6. xenophobe chick Avatar
    xenophobe chick

    All Bajans please go to the link David mentions above.

    And be angry. Very angry.

    It is a scandal that a private developer – for immense profits – could ruin one of the island’s most delightful beaches where locals picknicked and partied.

    And now secretly plans to do the same thing less than a mile further north along the shore.

    IT MUST BE STOPPED. AND GOVERNMEMNT MUST STOP IT.

    GOVERNEMENT MUST FINALLY SHOW ITS TRUE COLOURS ABOUT WEST COAST RAPE. AND STOP THIS UNSCRUPULOUS GANG FROM PLUNDERING AND DESTROYING OUR HERITAGE.

  7. 6 hp Avatar
    6 hp

    This is appalling. If the public meeting really was such a sham, which I can easily believe, and locals stand to loose a beach, possibly Six Men’s that provides employment to a tight fishing community, then we really are lost. What can we do? And I don’t think we can wait on the Gov to take the initiative, somehow they need to be kicked into action.

  8. Paradox Avatar
    Paradox

    What is Haynesley Benn’s take on this? Is he happy to see another marina?Was he present at the meeting?
    Now ‘Blogers and commenters alike’,you can blog and post as long as you like, but it won’t change one dot.
    Few Bajans have taken an interest in what is going on around them and I am sure the developers on the West Coast and the same ‘to be marina’ are cognizance of this fact and the reason for development after development taking place on the West Coast. Some people may verbally abuse the person who dare to comment. Some are so blinded by their ignorance/stupidity.They say these projects are bringing new jobs to the Island…’Short sighted, tunnel vision’. The visitor to the Island has observed the carnage.

    THE SCOUT:
    “One day coming soon the people would wake up!”
    The people are dead and buried. I believe in miracles,perhaps you do too, but I cannot see a miracle happening in our lifetime.

    Some one wrote,”Several horses have escaped the barn already, however there is still time to stop a few that remain”.
    How can this begin to happen when there is ‘no will’ on the part of the Bajan public.
    This marina idea was touted for many months now. The present administration appeared not in favour with the idea when in opposition, now that they are in government, is it alright? All of Barbados would like to hear if the governent is happy for this project to go ahead…OR…’Just go away and bring back the plans in a watered down form and we’ll see where we go from there, scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours….!

    Some Politicians are in politics either to satisfy their egos, for the money or both.
    The West Coast is GONE, GONE, forever! Sixmens will go the same way as the rest, no matter what.
    Cove Bay and East Coast you are next. Take a drive to Cove Bay/Little Bay, take a good look. You have heard the saying, “Read my lips!”
    Those residing near the fishing village in Sixmens, will in time be forced further away so as to ensure the whole west coast is completed.

    It is not what the Bajan wants that matter. What the Foreign investor wants in Barbados is what matter.

  9. The People's Democratic Congress Avatar
    The People’s Democratic Congress

    The call in program, the town hall meeting, and the internet blog, though necessary and major expressions of democratic organization and building in Barbados, are still providing the ethoses within which there emerge many primary causes why our country is NOT progressing and developing as much as it ought to be. Consequently, as much as these fora of public expression do give vent to the frustrations, rationalizations and articulations of our relevant peoples relative to many national and parochial issues and matters in Barbados, and, too, as much as these fora do give the controllers of them the opportunity to observe and to monitor these people and their behaviourisms, they nevertheless do substantially serve to allow certain others with their particular elitist neo-colonial political and other agendas to yet fundamentally control many of the feelings, ideas and activities of so many of our people in Barbados, and to yet fundamentally superimpose their own prejudice positions, views, values and other relevant attitudes upon such peoples.

    Hence, with the fair growth of the call in program, the town hall meeting and, now, with the fairly strong growth that of the internet blog, altogether coming about in Barbados within the last twenty five years, we have seen the simultaneous regressive decline in mass protests, strikes, rallies, political mass meetings and other political mass aggregation and mobilization approaches. Therefore, whereas proportionately greater and greater power, control and influence have gone the way of the traditional and modern media and to their majority subserving middle-class owners and controllers and to their main political, corporate and other overlords and associates, indeed proportionately lesser and lesser power, control, and influence have remained with the predominantly masses/middle classes-oriented trade unions, political parties, community based groups, youth groups, etc. The fact is that the reverse ought to have long been the case!! What complicates this is when the political elites of the country are the primary motivators and still the main beneficiaries one way or another of these kinds of changes, directly or indirectly.

    So, rather than the masses and middle classes of people demonstrating and protesting massively against another socially and environmentally disruptive marina being planned for Six Mens, St. Peter, muchly with view of stopping this kind of hideous and destructive development, a group of so-called spineless and timid working class people, mainly from this St. Peter community, would have gone to a town hall meeting on Saturday last, near the proposed site of the marina, to simply rationalize, sympathize, and disguise. Too, it is shocking that many of these persons, according to the Daily Nation Newspaper, Monday, June 9, 2008, were there to raise concerns relative to TREES, PARKING, ARCHITECTURE and the HEALTH of the beach. While these are fairly important issues too, the fact is that they are far greater national and sub-national issues than those that are at stake that are strong enough to make the Nation Newspaper cover them!! WHEN LIKE HELL are the majority of the masses and middle classes going to stop allowing Sir Charles, Bizzy Wiliams, Bjorn Bjerkhamn and relevant others and the principals within the BLP and DLP, from pulling cotton wool over their eyes?? WHEN LIKE HELL?? WHEN LIKE HELL ARE THEY GOING TO STOP SUCH IGNORANCE FROM BEING WIPED OVER THEIR FACES? Indeed, many robust issues and demands surrounding these questions, and any questions concerning land use and development policy in Barbados themselves, are what should really be strongly and powerfully emanating from out of esp. the call in program and the town hall meeting. No wishy washy, luke warm, ambiguous statements and positions on very important issues and concerns!!

    Therefore, it is in light of these kinds of affairs that we in PDC must say that our masses and middle classes of people must really be grater enfranchised and empowered to stop such horrible desecrations of our pristine and beautiful lands. Hence, we must state categorically that a future PDC Government shall surely establish in each constituency of Barbados, a Constituency Assembly whereby constituents shall debate and pass the laws of this country and shall peside over the legislative direction of this country. SOVEREIGN POWER TO THE PEOPLE OF BARBADOS!!

    PDC

  10. David Avatar
    David

    People don’t protest in a vacuum. Someone will have to step forward who can energize citizens to the importance of being civic minded. Is there a non political person who is capable of helping Barbadians to become engaged on the many issues?

  11. Krzysztof Skubiszewski Avatar
    Krzysztof Skubiszewski

    In the Nation article the Port St. Charles boss praises himself for eliminating the Heywoods swamp. Conveniently omitting he’s responsible for destroying the Heywoods beach.

    Ask anyone in Six Mens, Shermans and Half Moon Fort what they think about the marina that ruined their traditional way of life.

    Of course, no-one did ask them – just as no-one will ask them about being uprooted by another obscene marina.

  12. Centipede Avatar
    Centipede

    WHAT’S NEW WITH PEOPLE’S ATTITUDES WHEN IT COMES TO PROGRESS IN BARBADOS? Most of our population live in a little goldfish bowl and no nothing about progress. All we want to do is swim around and around and around in a circle and go nowhere. And then cry out when somebody elects to do something.

    We want to remain frozen in the dark ages.

    Take a look at today’s Nation re the fishermen. They are crying out because fish is being bought from someone other than them. They want to sail into Trinidad’s waters and catch their fish, and that’s OK. But it’s not OK for the Trinidadians to sell us their fish. ? Hello?

    What’s this whole business about CSME and intra-island trading? It applies to all facets of business except fish?

    In the meanwhile we have these big frogs who sit in a small pond, sitting on their lilly pad and croaking nonsense.

    Imagine that after all this time, with the world racing ahead and countries forming political unions… Barbados and the Caribbean islands cannot even travel amongst themselves unless they have a passport and face Immigration dullards.

    I’ll tell you what the REAL PROBLEM IS: us black people. I hate to say it…. but we (apparently) do not belong in the real world. YOU ONLY HAVE TO LOOK AND YOU CAN SEE THE EVIDENCE. I said: LOOK AND SEE THE EVIDENCE. This is not a hypothetical belief … THE FACTS ARE THERE IN YOUR FACE.

  13. Cat Scan Avatar
    Cat Scan

    Think about the near future where there are no views to the sea on the West Coast. We are not far from that now. Who are the beneficiaries of this project. A few already very wealthy people? As the oil price rises, more and more economic strains take place and we have to start to get back to the basics such as where is the next meal coming from. These concrete edifice’s will not feed us. Also due to the changing world economic scene tourism is going to be reduced as fewer people can afford to travel. How is a marina like this help with the Barbadian economy. A few will benefit but not the majority.

    I am very dissapointed with our short sightedness with respect to condo development, the benefits to Barbados are really very few and the negative effects are huge, in my opinion. It was put very clearly to me a few years ago when it was suggested as the price of oil continues to rise that we will reach the time when we have to remove these concrete edifices with pick axes and human labour to get back to the earth so we can grow food.

  14. Centipede Avatar
    Centipede

    Also…. think about the South Coast — there are no views of the sea from Oistins to Bridgetown, — a distance of ??? many miles — except for windows at Welches, Acra Beach, Hastings Rocks, Esplanade and then where the old Bico Factory was… and this latter is there only for a short while longer, unless the Government buys the land.

    But I ask you this question: should the owner of a piece of land on the seaside be barred from building on it because it blocks a view to the sea?

    I ask you objectors… if YOU owned a seaside lot and you wanted to build a house on it, would you refuse to do so because people driving along the road won’t be able to see the sea? I want a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ answer from you…. no long ambling rambling diatribe that doesn’t answer the simple question.

    Personally, I have always held, that from the very beginning…. no building should have been allowed on the seaward side of our roads… but that ‘law’ would have had to be in place since year one. It’s too late now. In any case, we do not live in a frozen time warp as a lot of fellow Bajans seem to think… even if that law had been in place, in the fullness of time it would have had to be revoked as we go through the years.

  15. notbajan Avatar
    notbajan

    Port St. Charles used up a fair stretch of the beach. If you walk home from Oistins, you now have to walk along the street. Some people voiced their opposition to the building of Port St. Charles. It is not the foreign investers who are responsible for building wherever they want.
    It is the lack of the BarbadosGovernment building codes and regulations.

    Please, don’t let this happen again.

  16. Shrek Avatar
    Shrek

    At Heywoods the government took our land, the peoples’ land where we parked by the sea) and gave it to the same people. They GAVE our land away.

    Now we have the road at Six Men’s along the shore. If thie government GIVES them that land, then we will see what has been done.

    They want a marina, OK, then have it back there, but the beach and the road is OURS.

    Governments (BLP/DLP) LEAVE OUR ROAD AND BEACH where it is. IT IS OURS.

  17. Centipede Avatar
    Centipede

    A short while ago a Govt Minister (don’t recall which one) floated the idea that there needed to be another “Port” in the North to service cruise ships especially.

    Will this alleged ‘marina’ be able to berth cruise ships? Maybe the Minister was simply preparing the ground….

  18. Kay Avatar
    Kay

    Centipede
    In some cases the land on the sea side of the road may have been part of a parcel on the land side and therefore never intended for building in year one, only access, but then new owners come along and get the lot divided and a building goes up on the beach.
    If the sea levels continue to rise the sea will claim back some property. No doubt that we the taxpayers will end up then bearing the burden again.

  19. Thats the way it is Avatar
    Thats the way it is

    The composition of the ‘group’ which assembled at the reported meeting can be described as White Bajans with no locals present.
    ………………………………………………………………………………………………
    Whats new ?

  20. Thewhiterabbit Avatar
    Thewhiterabbit

    1. This writer notes in the original BU presentation a very interesting comment “…white Bajans with no locals present.” Does this mean that white Bajans aren’t locals? Or is locals defined as someone who lives within a certain distance of somewhere? Some definitions might help here because at this moment I am confused about the relationship among locals, Bajans and whites.

    2. Marinas can help the economy by adding variety to the tourist mix. We used to be the end for a number of trans-Atlantic yacht races, but no longer because we don’t have facilities and customs and immigration not to mention harbour master’s office were so uncooperative, surly, and belligerant that the races now go to St. Lucia taking their financial contribution with them. Notwithstanding, taking scarce land to make water (pun possibly intended) is insanity of the worst sort. Rather than dig away scarce land for water, it might make a lot more sense to enclose the water with artificial land as was done for the deep water harbour. We would get the marina, we’d keep the land, and the only losers would be those that sought to make a heap of money from the sale of the land.

  21. xenophobe chick Avatar
    xenophobe chick

    Thewhiterabbit – now that’s a brilliant idea. The first one to emerge in this whole discussion. Build the marina out to sea. (With landfill?) Excellent. And leave the island alone. Forever and ever.

    About white Bajans and locals let’s hope the writer defined locals as people from the area who walked to the meeting and the others couldn’t have been if they drove off in their SUV’s.

  22. xenophobe chick Avatar
    xenophobe chick

    Quick follow-up.

    Of course there were no “locals” at the meeting.

  23. The scout Avatar
    The scout

    When all these things are built for the wealthy, where would the localBLACK BAJANS live? In the hinderlands and caves? WE are progressing fast back to the slave days. Gabby boy massa days coming back fast

  24. Thats the way it is Avatar
    Thats the way it is

    The whiterabbit,
    Were I a betting man I would bet you were at the “meeting.” Most posters understand quite clearly the state of play of race in Barbados and who assembles with who. There is no reason to doubt BU report.

  25. Centipede Avatar
    Centipede

    OK I’ve made several posts on this subject and dont plan to do one-a-day. Re the above stuff ~

    1. Contruction of the marina using landfill… it has been a contention of mine that garbage should/could be “stored” off shore on small ‘islands.’ This would have numerous positive spin-offs. YES it is done in the South Sea islands (that I know of) and most likely in other places too… why cant it be done here?

    2. Bajan Whites. The problem I have with my fellow black brothers/sisters is…. we do NOTHING except talk, talk, TALK… and when “the whites” go forward and do it… we take pot shots at them.

    Let’s go back in time for a moment… remember Julien? When they went belly up… where were our black ‘businessmen’ ? They stood idly by when a great business opportunity presented itself… instead what happened? Stokes & Bynoe and some others took over….

    Look at Rayside, a black owned construction Company. Another one bites the dust. You simply dont see these things happening with white owned/managed Companies.

    Why?

  26. Thats the way it is Avatar
    Thats the way it is

    Because whites control the economy centipede. You know it and we know it. Why ask a question when you already know the answer. Bob Verdun a white man articulates why black companies struggle and its not all their fault. The cards are stacked against them. You should join Bob Verdun and try to make a difference along with your black countrymen and your fellow whites . Dont answer me address what Verdun keeps repeating about the economy controlled by whites to the detriment of blacks.

  27. Margaret Knight Avatar
    Margaret Knight

    BU, I would like you to know that I have written a letter to Dr. Esther Byer-Suckoo, copied to the Prime Minister, in connection with alleged plans to build a marina at Six Mens. I am utterly disgusted and flabberghasted at the thought and I simply will not keep quiet on this one.

  28. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Margaret Knight I soooooooo admire your spunk and your putting your mouth where your money is attitude.

    Keep going you have a lot of admirers out here,and while you are at it please ask David to read these posts on BU re the concerns of bajans about the high level if non nationals living permanently in Barbados and the likely fallout between the ethnic groups – in particular the indians and for him to speak on the issue and tell us real soon what he intends to do about it.

    Thanks.

  29. Thewhiterabbit Avatar
    Thewhiterabbit

    To That’s the Way It Is,
    Sorry, you lose. This writer wasn’t at the meeting, wouldn’t have been invited (not my social circle), and I certainly don’t have the fiscal resources to buy my way in. Hope you didn’t bet too much on my presence at the meeting. I know, of course, exactly what was being said about whites, Bajans, and locals. I wanted, however, to point out politely the insidious way that secret and hidden closet racism insinuates itself into so many aspects of life in paradise. It is truly a shame that we must spend so much time, effort, and psychic energy dealing with the vagaries of slight differences in the shades of brown that we really all are. Nobody’s skin is black, nobody’s skin is white, we are all just different shades brown. If one considers the loaded meanings of white and black in the English language one can see immediately that we do ourselves a great disservice in using those terms. The use of these terms immediately creates a false dichotomy, an unbridgable gap between communities. It is the opinion of this writer that to the degree we insert race into our discourse we erect insurmountable stumbling blocks to our collective forward progress. This is a mighty small island, this piece of paradise, and there really isn’t room here for the “we vs them” mentality. Beyond that, there are nuff folks of dark brown complexion who have made it big, both socially and economically, and nuff poor folks with a light brown complexion to show that skin color is no guarantee of success or failure. Finally, just for the record, my name de plume, thewhiterabbit, has far more to do with the topsy-turvy, frequently irrational Alice in Wonderland nature of life here in paradise than it has to do with the amount of melanin produced in my epidermis.

    Build the marina off-shore, don’t sacrifice any of this small piece of real estate, regardless of skin color!

  30. Shrek Avatar
    Shrek

    That piece of beachfront, at Chefette prices, is worth 200M. It belongs to the people of Barbados.

    1) Do the people of Barbados wish to sell it? Is there any compensation that Bajans want in order to lose another open, public area?
    2) What will developers do to compensate for the government gift of our land to them, because this is, quote, “Good for Barbados”
    3) What will government get in return for the gift of the peoples’ property? I would never say that someone was given a condo in a development or money into an offshore account if I was not absolutely sure of it.

    What’s the get? Will the people accept what they get?

    Remember, this land that is ours has a tremendous value of hundreds of millions. Do Bajans agree to give it away because it is “Good for Barbados”?

  31. JC Avatar
    JC

    I fanyone is willing, I for one will march around for as long as I have brath. I f this Government that we vote for aint gona protest, we the people must rise up.

    Rise up Barbados I am willing to do it.

    Lets stop talk and organise ourselves.
    How long is to long?

  32. The scout Avatar
    The scout

    I might be old and forgetful but didn’t Benn, when campaigning in St. Peter tell the people of Six Mens in a townhall meeting that the BLP was planning this and he and his party when they get to power would prevent this? But then the h’way expansion was to be stopped too until there was a forensic study. The more we change, the more we remain the same. The politicians mekking sport at we.

  33. West Coast Challenge « Barbados Underground – bringing the news to the people

    […] in today’s Nation Newspaper and sums-up the concern of many residents in St. Peter, the BU family and beyond regarding the reckless development on the way in the North. We thought that there would […]

  34. sixmensman Avatar
    sixmensman

    This marina will rob us of any beach which we now have and certainly destroy all aspects of our historic fishing village.

  35. redfish Avatar
    redfish

    Every Caribbean Island seems to spout the same garbage, you want the dollar, the employment and the revenue.
    What you hate is the fact development is done by the wealthy or by outsiders.
    If you want no more development then tell your government, would you complain if 30 arcres were to be taken by low cost housing.
    Why not tie the two together and have some development and also demand government develop for the people, schools,medical,training and much needed affordable housing.

  36. Red Herring Avatar
    Red Herring

    Skippa, it don’t wuk suh atall in Bim!

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