Beachfront Property Boundary Violations Probe Post-Hurricane Damage

The Planning and Development Department is probing several cases of beachfront property owners along the West Coast attempting to illegally extend their boundary lines in the wake of damage caused by Hurricane Beryl, Barbados TODAY has learned.

Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU), Dr Leo Brewster, confirmed that the department had been alerted to these violations and is taking action. He said some beachfront businesses have been exploiting the erosion caused by the hurricane to construct structures beyond the legally established boundaries.

Dr Brewster told Barbados TODAY: “With the passage of Hurricane Beryl between June 3 and July 2, there was a lot of damage on both the West and South Coast . . . several locations along the West Coast were impacted significantly, especially places like Paynes Bay, Gibbs Beach, and Lower Carlton. That resulted in a lot of property damage where seawalls and shoreline protection structures, like revetments and guard walls, were totally wiped out in some properties.”

He added that while most properties have adhered to regulations during repair works, there were instances of businesses failing to comply with guidelines agreed upon on-site. These cases have been referred to town planners in the Planning and Development Department for further action.

“The repair work or restoration work to the guard walls and sea defence protections are to be reinstated pretty much back into the original position. It can’t come further seaward or further forward than where the line of defence was before . . . we’ve had a couple of properties that have not adhered to that . . . and they have been reported to town planning for the necessary action.”

Dr Brewster explained that the CZMU is working closely with the town planning department to manage the post-hurricane recovery. This involves an engineer from the CZMU and a coastal engineer representing the property owner assessing the damage on-site, agreeing on the necessary repairs, and submitting an application to the town planners.

He also warned that extending property lines beyond the original boundaries is not only illegal but also harmful in the long term.

He said: “Some people might think that since there may be no direct point of reference because the original line has been lost, they can come forward and claim more land . . . But then they place themselves in the active beach zone where the waves are always breaking . . . And in doing that, once the water starts to hit those structures when they start to build them, it would remove the sand and they would then be contributing to their own demise.”