PLANS AFOOT TO DEVELOP A ROYAL BASSETERRE VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, SAYS ENVIRONMENT MINISTER EVELYN

Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 17, 2021 (SKNIS):  The Royal Basseterre Valley area, which is the green space between the RLB International Airport in the north and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) in the south is expected to be developed in the not too distant future, said Minister of Environment and Cooperatives, the Honourable Eric Evelyn, during his Budget 2022 Presentation on December 16.

“My ministry is now trying to embark on a massive project for the Royal Basseterre Valley area, the Royal Basseterre Valley National Park project. It is primarily an undeveloped green space comprising 320 acres of land. The greater portion of the land will remain there to be developed through a concept that was presented to the Cabinet of Ministers early in the year,” said Minister Evelyn. “It is important when we have these greenspaces Mr. Speaker, that we have a development plan for these spaces because the green space has been laying there over the years and unfortunately that greenspace has now become a dumping ground. Because of the fact that people have decided to abuse that area, we have some very patriotic persons who decided… to have this place developed into a nice scenic park.”

Minister Evelyn commended the two individuals who presented “a wholesome, lovely, well-illustrated proposal to Cabinet.  

“Mr. Speaker, I would like to see a transformation of that area. All that garbage that is up there needs to be removed. All the animals that are there need to go, and for that to happen, for that transformation to take place, this is the ideal thing for us to do – to develop that area, to have a state of the art facility,” he said, adding that it will be the first of its kind in the region. “What we are envisioning for that area is something to encompass health, fitness, culture, everything in one and in harmony with the environment.”

Minister Evelyn highlighted that the Royal Basseterre Valley Park sits on an aquifer, adding that the proposed designs “will ensure that absolutely no damage is done to the environment.”

“I cannot have my Ministry of Environment leading a project that will damage the environment, and so what we are hoping to happen with this development is something that will be in concert with the environment,” he said.

The environment minister said that given the congestion in the Basseterre area, it is hoped that with the development of the Park, that a lot of the “social gatherings can take place at the Royal Basseterre Valley National Park.”

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