Lands are being cleared at Pensioners Beach for further development
The government has announced its intention to redevelop the Pensioners Beach area into an Airbnb location.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne said on Pointe FM that citizens can purchase land to establish a gated community.
According to the Prime Minister, the National Housing Authority has initiated the process of clearing approximately 10 acres of land to prepare for this upcoming development.
The prime minister has announced plans to allocate approximately 2 acres to create a beach park.
This initiative aims to provide a designated area for individuals who frequent Pensioners Beach to relax, have sufficient parking, and enjoy beach access. Additionally, the remaining land will be divided into quarter-acre lots, with a focus on encouraging local residents to establish Airbnb properties.
This land is situated near the well-known “Big People Party” venue, which is the location for a popular event organized by opposition MP Algernon Watts.
Notably, Prime Minister Browne has voiced concerns about erecting a fence that obstructs access to a section of Pensioners Beach, an action allegedly linked to MP Algernon Watts.
“I know the facility there is owned by Desmond Charles…They built on government property without any permission. They have no lease; they have no ownership of the land. I know DCA is looking at it, and I know that by next week, the DCA will give instructions to remove the fence because they are blocking a portion of Pensioners Beach”, he said
Browne has emphasized that if the landowners fail to comply with the Development Control Authority’s request to remove the fence, the government will intervene to dismantle it.
Furthermore, the prime minister has expressed the government’s intention to commence the development of the allocated land within the next 12 months.
Positive action at Pensioners’ Beach! I am in full support of this very necessary and timely move. This public beach must be developed for the full enjoyment of ALL citizens and NOT for the personal enrichment of a bunch of UPP money-grabbers. Good move, Mr. PM.
UPP money-grabbers? You people act like Antigua shouldn’t be FOR ALL Antiguans! The property isn’t owned by serpent! If that is the way things should be, then when the government changes, should all Labor supporters lose their holdings? This is the attitude I despise the most in this country! Antigua is for all Antiguans!
Notice you don’t say the same thing when the government is busy giving away your birthright to White foreigners! I don’t hear protestations when they fence off the beaches and deny you people access. But when it is a son of the soil, your bad-mindedness, takes center stage!
First of all, it is not “Pensioner’s Beach!” It has always been, “Sidehill Beach!” You can’t just rename our landmarks! The bar is called, “Pensioner’s Bar.”