Houses tend to become dilapidated when the owners stop maintaining the properties or die. To prevent dilapidated abandoned houses from becoming unsanitary nuisances, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) first warns homeowners, and if there is no improvement, takes the drastic step of demolishing the house.
Prior to November 2019, the EPD mainly demolished derelict timber-walled houses. After November 2019, approximately 88% of all derelict houses demolished by the EPD were stone masonry-walled houses.
DEMOLISHING STRUCTURALLY STABLE HOUSES.
While derelict timber-walled houses may be rotten to the point where it is more economical to rebuild than repair, derelict stone masonry-walled houses may be economically repaired. The new Retrofit Manual (2023) for houses in Barbados includes a section on strengthening stone masonry houses.
After inspecting a house with a demolition notice and finding the walls structurally stable, I wrote the EPD requesting a stay on the demolition of stone masonry houses until the repair costs may be determined. The EPD noted that only the affected property owners could apply for such stays and they did not have a mandate to repair. I have since inspected several derelict stone masonry houses that were economically repairable.
I support the demolition of derelict timber-walled houses and the clean-up of unsanitary debris within and around all derelict houses. However, the recent urgency to demolish structurally stable stone-masonry houses that may be easily repaired is concerning. Perhaps the following solution may be considered.
A SOLUTION.
Rather than demolish structurally stable stone-masonry houses, perhaps we can spend the demolition money paying unemployed persons to learn to rehabilitate the houses. The property owners may provide the building materials.
If a property owner is unwilling or unable to provide the building materials, then the Government may provide the homeowner with the following options. Either the house will be demolished, or the Government will provide the materials, and then rent out the rehabilitated house for as long as necessary to recover the rehabilitation costs.
This solution should benefit: the homeowner, the Government, unemployed persons and the national economy. It should especially help at-risk youth, including those who left secondary school with no academic qualifications and those recently released from prison with no job prospects. The Government may include this initiative in its Construction Gateway Training.
RESTORING A LOST ART.
We have generally lost the art of stone masonry construction in Barbados, which was common in the colonial era. When these buildings are demolished, they are no longer part of our built heritage. Since November 2019, the EPD published scheduled demolition notices for 915 stone masonry houses. At the EPD’s current demolition rate, stone masonry houses will soon be a rare sight in Barbados.
The available options appear to be to either stop demolishing structurally stable stone-masonry derelict houses and repair them to benefit everyone, or continue with the stated aim of removing all vestiges of colonialism from Barbados’ landscape – to please a few.
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