Residents of Chancery Park in Christ Church, Barbados, face an escalating environmental crisis as relentless dust pollution from nearby construction activities infiltrates their homes and damages property. For five consecutive years, this community has endured deteriorating living conditions with minimal response from developers or authorities despite repeated complaints.
Beverly Arthur-Barrow, a retiree who recently returned to Barbados, exemplifies the struggle. Her property requires repainting every four months despite using industrial-grade paint, and she has replaced her hot tub three times due to motor damage from dust infiltration. The constant cleaning—costing between £700-900 quarterly—has become financially burdensome and physically exhausting. More alarmingly, she reports developing sinus problems and other health issues directly attributed to the dust exposure.
The situation worsened recently when construction crews attempted temporary remediation by laying gravel and compacting it with machinery, which residents claim amplified the dust problem rather than mitigating it. Structural damage has also emerged, with property fences leaning due to construction vehicle vibrations.
Neighbor Wendy Critchlow-Harris reports similar issues, describing how fine grit dust permeates curtains and indoor surfaces, creating unavoidable inhalation risks. She emphasizes the community’s frustration with the complete lack of communication from developers or local officials regarding timelines or mitigation plans.
Christ Church East MP Wilfred Abrahams acknowledges the problem, explaining that road scraping was performed by the Ministry of Transport and Works to address pothole complaints, but this interim measure created additional challenges. He confirms the road is currently in the design phase for proper paving through the Ministry of Public Works, with construction to commence upon design approval. Abrahams has committed to revisiting the community to address these escalating concerns personally.