S2.E11: Parham Shop Demolition Fiasco

The Big Issues

A controversy erupts over a roadside shop in Parham demolished by order of the Development Control Authority. The young men who owned it say they are being stifled while trying to make a living. The DCA says the men went far beyond what they were authorized to do, and they were given fair warning that the structure needed to come down. So in our first segment we ask: What should we make of the incident? And can we avoid disenfranchising small traders, even as we strengthen planning and development control?

This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on January 23rd, 2022. The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

1. Colin John-Jenkins, an architect by profession trained in both architecture and project management. He is also an advocate of sustainable development practices. He is the principal of the firm, CJC & Associates.
2. Dr. Asad Mohammed (PhD), a former Coordinator of the Graduate Programme in Urban and Regional Planning, UWI, St Augustine and is currently Director of the Caribbean Network for Urban and Land Management. He has provided policy and technical advice to many Caribbean governments on planning issues including the OECS and Antigua and Barbuda. His experience in Antigua and Barbuda covers regularization of informal development.
3. Allanson Cruikshank, an experienced environmental and planning consultant, as well as a lecturer. Professionally, his areas of focus include disaster risk reduction, urban and regional planning, sustainable development, research and project management. He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies' Mona, St. Augustine and Cave Hill Campuses, where he earned degrees in geography and urban and regional planning, among others.
4. Alistair Alexander, the President of the Barbados Association of Retailers, Vendors and Entrepreneurs known as BARVEN.

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