T here are times when one is forced to give room to our various political administrations to outline their priorities and the necessary timelines to deliver on those areas. However, there are times when governments have to be held to account, sometimes with stinging critiques to remind them the electorate is watching, and is not pleased. Most Barbadians would agree that administering the affairs of a small, open economy of a developing country like ours is a major task, given the vagaries of the global environment.
Despite the challenges faced by various administrations such as the global financial crisis that emerged in late 2007 or the crippling global pandemic of 2019-2020, we are still convinced that a comprehensive development plan for maintenance and expansion of our capital city was not prioritised. What has occurred in the interim are sporadic starts and sputters but no real plan that the people of Barbados can identify with or even had an input in developing. During the last administration of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), much was made of the efforts to have Bridgetown listed as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.
According to the profile cited by UNESCO, Historic Bridgetown and Its Garrison represent one of the best examples of British colonial architecture comprising several 17th, 18th and 19th Century properties that have been well-preserved. In addition, UNESCO highlights the Garrison for the numbe.