Applicant's Handbook and Guide to Coastal Planning in Barbados

The Applicant’s Handbook and Guide to Coastal Planning 2010
2 WHAT CONSTITUTES COASTAL DEVELOPMENT
In order to understand what is coastal development the term coastal zone needs to
be defined. This is defined as the transition area between the land and sea. This
interface is dynamic by nature and in constant change and evolution. It has always
been an important resource area, hence historically why most of human civilization
established settlements in the coastal zone. It must be managed sustainably.
The Coastal Zone Management Area (Figure 1) will be legally defined by the CZM
Act. The landward boundary of the Caribbean coast follows the main coastal road
or the limit of the predicted 100m storm surge flooding, whichever is further
inland. A similar approach is taken for the Atlantic coast.
The seaward boundary lies along the 100m depth contour. On the Caribbean coast,
which is protected by bank reefs, the offshore boundary is 200m seaward of the
outer edge of these reefs if this is further offshore than the 100m depth contour.
Based on the variations in the coastline and hence different management priorities,
the CZM Area has been divided into sub-areas (Figure 1) determined by physical
boundaries, land use patterns and terrestrial and marine ecology.
The Town and Country Planning Act, Cap. 240, defines development as “The
carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over
or under any land, the making of any material change in the use of any
buildings, or other land or the sub-division of land”. This includes the limits of
the country (200 nautical miles). Therefore any development application that lies
within the physical boundaries of the proposed Coastal Zone Management Area is
forwarded to the CZMU and assessed. Recommendations are returned to the Chief
Town Planner. Developments that CZMU assesses include, but are not limited to:
Residences (new/renovations/additions);
Subdivisions of land;
Tourism structures (hotel/condominiums/villas);
Marinas and ports;
Coastal engineering structures (jetties/groynes/breakwaters/revetments/sea
walls)
Sea structures (underwater pipelines, sub-sea cables, oil rig platforms);
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