Chief Sec: Scarborough redevelopment project under way

Plans are under way for the Scarborough redevelopment project, says Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine.

Augustine gave an update on Tuesday at an Executive Council district town hall meeting in the Lambeau/ Lowlands electoral district at the Hampden Multipurpose Facility.

He said documents on the project, which was conceptualised by the Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and Urban Development, are available on the THA website.

“It’s there – you can download it, you can print it, save it – and it has been there for the longest while, because we have been inviting discussions on the matter. We want your opinion.”

He said the documents have also been printed, bound and sent to the Prime Minister and several other stakeholders. He said he sent the documents to the PM so that the latter could organise the stakeholders under the sixth schedule of the THA Act and those within the remit of the central government.

“Essentially, I said to the Prime Minister, 'Organise a meeting and I would be willing to come with my team and we would go through, discuss with you the feasibility study, discuss the findings, discuss the design, you can ask any question you want and so on.' That is transparency.”

In terms of the on-land development, he said some robust cleaning up of the capital is under way.

“We are on an aggressive drive...It is something we have been speaking of for a while and also to beautify the town.”

Works on the boardwalk, he said, is incomplete, as shade covers are being looked at, as well as getting the wooden deck stained.

Some rollout of work, he said, is also expected at the Scarborough Esplanade.

“The esplanade has to be transformed to a place that is a beehive of activities, so work would start ...in this fiscal year. You would see the esplanade even having a kids' zone, a family zone (where) you can come with your family as well.”