Draft Development Plan for Millennium Highway

January 26, 2001 - The Physical Planning Section of the Ministry of Planning, Development, Environment and housing has prepared a draft Development Action Plan to provide a planned framework for the development of lands along the Millennium 1-highway and within its hinterland. The plan covers approximately 638 acres of undeveloped lands and its boundaries extend from the junction of the Highway to Pointe Bananes to the north, the Caribbean Sea Coast from Yellow Sands Beach to the mouth of the Cul de Sac river to the west; along the Cul de Sac river to its junction with the west coast road to the south and along land parcel boundaries in the communities of Ciceron, Coubaril and La Toc to the east.

As its title implies, the Millennium Highway plan is a detailed as opposed to a conceptual plan and is action oriented in the sense that it prescribes planning solutions to developmental problems in the short term. The formulation of the plan at this juncture was necessary given the advent of the highway and the planning problems such as squatting and piece-meal development, which began to occur along its borders.

The Plan seeks to provide a regime of optimal land uses that are complementary and compatible, an efficient circulation and road network system, maintain the design integrity of the highway as a free flowing artery, protect environmentally sensitive areas, establish development densities that are consistent with the physical characteristics of the lands and appropriately located access points that enhance traffic management and safety. To achieve these objectives the strategy of the plan proposes in suitable locations, lands for residential, commercial, industrial, touristic, institutional, recreational and conservation use in addition to a road network system and housing densities and other development proposals.

In its institutional land use allocation, the strategy initially identified a 21-acre site for a new hospital in the vicinity of the Benedictine Nuns Convent. At the request of the landowners, consideration was given to an alternative site on the western fringe of the highway.

A detailed site appraisal of both sites conducted by an independent consultant team revealed that the former, for physical reasons including topography was a more suitable site for the hospital. Consequently, it was agreed that with a reduction in the size of the hospital site (to < 10 acres), an increase in the green belt to buffer the site from the Convent and an appropriately located access, that this site should be adopted.

Additionally, site options along the upper elevation of the highway proximate to the Coubaril community and in the Cul de Sac valley at the highway’s lower elevation are currently being considered by government for the sitting of a government office complex.

The proposals of the plan were represented in three development options with the third option constituting the preferred strategy. This preferred option, which incorporated the views expressed at the consultations, was based on technical considerations after rationalization of all the issues. The plan has been the subject of a process of consultation involving landowners and private and public sector institutions in August, September and

December 2000 and as recent as January 25^th 2001. The preferred option was refined and adjusted after every consultative stage based on comments and recommendations presented by the various interest groups at the consultations. This process of consultation and refinement of the plan is expected to continue until there is broad consensus on the proposals of the plan culminating in its presentation and consideration by Cabinet.

Permanent Secretary

Ministry of Planning, Development, Environment and Housing

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