New planning regulations, which may force homeowners out of their houses during major renovations, have been put on hold.
Word of this came from Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment, Marsha Caddle, yesterday as she disclosed Government’s decision to delay the implementation of some of the new laws until the public was fully informed on how these will work.
Under a provision of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act, 2020, homeowners are required to obtain an occupancy certificate to be able to live in their homes during or upon the completion of the construction of major renovations.
“This amendment will not come into force right away as we are going to proclaim the part of the Act that speaks to giving timelines for planning and development and those provisions. The part that speaks to these issues is not going to be proclaimed right now,” she said, while speaking on the Down to Brass Tacks call-in programme yesterday.
Caddle insisted the purpose for the legislation was to ensure the safety of the building and the residents within, but assured locals that their practice of building on ‘bit by bit’ could continue without the need for vacating the premises.
“This is how we operate – you save a bit and you build on a bit overtime. There is nothing in this legislation that stops you from doing that,” she said.
The minister stated the reason for the postponement of these laws was to ensure that Barbadians’ concerns were fully addressed before moving forward.
“The reason that we are holding is that we are listening to the people. I would not feel comfortable to know Barbadians feel uncomfortable about how this has been communicated or there is a sense that there is not full understanding and we go and put it into force,” she added.
