PRESS RELEASE - March 25, 2022 - PROPOSED TEF DEVELOPMENT

A little bit of history.
On October 6, 2014, an agreement was sanctioned by order from the Port Antonio Resident Magistrates Court. The UDC was ordered to apply for a separate title for Winnifred Beach and the lands to access it and to create on the new title an easement (or special right) for public access for bathing and recreational purposes. The UDC still owns Winnifred Beach but the community has a right to use the entire beach area, forever, regardless of who owns it.
Since then a formal entity was created, Free Winnifred Beach Benevolent Society, with the main purpose to manage and mantain the beach.

On March 20, 2022, a public consultation organized by TEF took place at Winnifred Beach. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss plans for a “development” of the beach.
More than 100 people took part in the discussion, which gave locals, community residents and international visitors the opportunity to express their views.

Dr Carey Wallace (Executive Director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund) explained how the funds allocated for the development of the beach would contribute to the overall economic development of the community. However, we did not get the details of how this should happen.

The official purpose of the meeting was to consult on what kind of development the community would like to see on the beach, and TEF prepared an online questionnaire for this purpose.
It was pointed out that the questionnaire only focuses on the aesthetic and functional issues of the "development". No reference is made to the current beach operators who have been operating and managing the beach for over 20 years and who have been operating under the leadership of FWBBS since 2008. No question was included on which management model to adopt and how to integrate the community members in this new phase.

The FWBBS has officially invited TEF and UDC to select a a date for a meeting between representatives of the FWBBS and the representatives of UDC and TEF to analyze possible forms of cooperation.

Given that many of the questions posed remained unanswered and that TEF said it wanted to agree this development plan with the community, the following is a list of 10 main points summarizing the results of the online questionnaire, the audience suggestions and the proposals of the FWBBS:


1. DEGREE OF INTERVENTION: We recommend that funds earmarked for beach improvements be spent primarily on infrastructure work, such as a new parking area above the beach, solar energy and rainwater harvesting systems to serve the activities on the beach, eco bathrooms, natural trails along the various facilities and shops. We have already done feasibility studies on these matters and are ready to bring our proposals to the table at our next meeting with UDC and TEF. In all cases minimal intervention shall be TAKEN.

2. AESTHETIC GUIDELINE: Whenever construction is to happen the community ‘s preferred aesthetic favors the use of bamboo, wood, and stones. Existing trees be retained and maintained, with professional pruning, as required, for the health of the trees and safety of the public
3. GOVERNING STRUCTURE: We aim to build an innovative and successful cooperation model between UDC and the Winnifred Beach Community. Decision-making for the beach should be on the basis of a governing body whereby the spirit of the process is: 51% the beach community’s input, via their representative body (the FWBBS), and 49% the GOJ’s.

4. SCHEMATIC LAYOUT ; Some structures need to be removed from the beach front and rebuilt in the inner part. Bathrooms and showers will be rebuilt in a more set back area and the existing structure should be demolished or repurposed. Built structures should be as invisible as possible from the sea.

5. ENTRANCE FEES: Maintain a beach is quite expensive. Even  for entrance to the beach, and should detail the cost of maintaining the beach, so visitors can see what is involved. Payment shall however continue to be optional. All proceeds shall go to maintenance of the beach and social activities programs for the community such as: enviromental training courses, swimming classes, marine protection awareness programs and art and craft exibitions.

6. PARKING: Parking should be offsite, ideally shaded with solar panels.

7. VENDORS: The existing vendors must be allowed to stay. They will pay a minimal rental (to be determined) to contribute towards the maintenance of the beach. No other deduction of revenue from sales will be applied to vendors. The total number of vendors permitted shall not exceed 20.

8. CAPACITY: A carrying capacity for the beach shall be established, generated from NEPA and Beach Control Authorities requirements with beach community input.

9. UTILITIES: Connection to the grid is needed but not necessary. Electricity must be mainly by solar power (according to the Vision 2030 ambitions/proposals).

10. Preserving the same “casual tropical style” of Winnifred Beach is a key component to the success of this project. It is one of the main things that attracts tourists to Jamaica.  We envision BEACH ART INSTALLATIONS inspired by nature and realized by local and international artists. This model has been developed with great success in many parts of the world.

Contrary to the message presented in the media, our association, which represents the majority of the beach operators and many members of the community, is not against the improvement of the beach. We are critical of a type of development driven solely by profit, to the detriment of the beach's heritage and the social well-being that only a free and authentic beach can offer the community.
We aim to offer a higher standard of service to support new tourism development in this area and to make Winnifred Beach the flagship for international tourists seeking an authentic experience in Jamaica while it remains as a community resource.


The Free Winnifred Beach Benevolent Society
www.free-winnifred.com
info@free-winnifred.com