DCA may stop reconstruction of Long Bay restaurant, as PM threatens to pull Barrow’s lease if he does not relocate

The owner of Barrow’s Chill Bar might be receiving a stop order from the Development Control Authority (DCA) this week, if he persists with the rebuilding of his restaurant.

Philbert Phillip, the proprietor, has been making efforts to reconstruct his once-thriving business, which was destroyed by fire three years ago.

Last week, Phillip indicated that there are moves at play to stop his reconstruction plans – reportedly by Prime Minister Gaston Browne. He said, then, that he is hoping for an audience with Browne to discuss the issue.

However, over the weekend, Browne said the restaurant is taking up too much space and is preventing beachgoers from having proper access to the seafront.

Further, Browne says the construction appears to be contravening the Physical Planning Act, which indicates that there should be a set-back of about 100 yards from the beach.

Accordingly, he claims the business is literally being constructed on the sand.

The Prime Minister says that a Cabinet sub-committee – headed by Environment Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph – has been selected, and it will look into the location of the restaurant and determine whether there is a more suitable place for the construction.

The sub-committee will also be looking into ways that the area can be re-developed for the benefit of beach-goers, Browne says.

According to Browne, the developer was given a lease, but he claims that, at the time, no one knew precisely where the building would be erected.

But now that construction is taking place, Browne says the Cabinet has asked for a review of the lease.  And if the developer does not want an amicable resolution to this issue, then the lease will be revoked, he declares.

Long Bay had been earmarked for development by the United Progressive Party (UPP) Administration and was intended to benefit both beach-goers and vendors who ply their trade on site.

However, the Gaston Browne Administration scrapped those plans when it got into office, and the two acres of Crown land were sold at peppercorn prices to a Chinese developer.  The man has not been heard from in a number of years and the land now sits under scrub.