Persons trying to privatise Virgin Gorda’s beaches — Wheatley
Ninth District Representative Vincent Wheatley has argued that there are some persons trying to privatise beaches in the BVI and said this was not the way to go.
The territory’s beaches are, by statute, to be reasonably accessible to members of the public both by land and sea at all times.
According to the Physical Planning Act, 2004 at least one public landward access should be made to every beach in the territory.
It continues: “In cases where this is not possible, traditional public use of a private landward access through an existing private development shall be sufficient to establish a public way over that access, for the purpose of access to the beach by the public.”
Wheatley said the laws make it very clear how beaches are to be treated in the territory, yet things appear to be otherwise, particularly in Virgin Gorda, which is located in his constituency.
“I think persons should make themselves familiar with [the laws] because I’m seeing a little trend,” Wheatley said. “Persons are trying to, for lack of a better word, privatise certain beaches, particularly in Virgin Gorda. I think it’s not the way we ought to go.”
Wheatley said persons should refrain from complicating beach use since beaches are public and persons should have access to them.
“We know we are tourism [destination] in the Ninth District and we respect persons who are wanting that feeling to feel like the beach is private, so we will not go and interfere on certain beaches, and the properties understand that,” Wheatley argued.
He continued: “But when you’re going to deliberately and intentionally try to prevent access to beaches, I think that’s problematic. It’s something we ought to refrain from doing.”
Wheatley said it was understandable that persons sometimes advertise beach access as part of the territory’s tourism product and in their marketing deals when selling properties.
However, he said it was not expected that those persons who live close to beaches should feel or act like living close to a beach somehow meant it is now a private beach.
According to the Physical Planning Act, 2004 at least one public landward access should be made to every beach in the territory.
It continues: “In cases where this is not possible, traditional public use of a private landward access through an existing private development shall be sufficient to establish a public way over that access, for the purpose of access to the beach by the public.”
Wheatley said the laws make it very clear how beaches are to be treated in the territory, yet things appear to be otherwise, particularly in Virgin Gorda, which is located in his constituency.
“I think persons should make themselves familiar with [the laws] because I’m seeing a little trend,” Wheatley said. “Persons are trying to, for lack of a better word, privatise certain beaches, particularly in Virgin Gorda. I think it’s not the way we ought to go.”
Wheatley said persons should refrain from complicating beach use since beaches are public and persons should have access to them.
“We know we are tourism [destination] in the Ninth District and we respect persons who are wanting that feeling to feel like the beach is private, so we will not go and interfere on certain beaches, and the properties understand that,” Wheatley argued.
He continued: “But when you’re going to deliberately and intentionally try to prevent access to beaches, I think that’s problematic. It’s something we ought to refrain from doing.”
Wheatley said it was understandable that persons sometimes advertise beach access as part of the territory’s tourism product and in their marketing deals when selling properties.
However, he said it was not expected that those persons who live close to beaches should feel or act like living close to a beach somehow meant it is now a private beach.
