Why they don't take over all them half buildings not finished already? That makes cheaper build and is quicker with time. I SAY NO MORE half finish projects. Greed.

Jimmy - the problem with a performance clause in which the land reverts back to Barbuda is that a half developed project is no use to Barbuda - it would be the white elephant many people here fear. What Barbuda needs is 1) the right level of development (or not) for the island, and 2) the right developer, which means an experienced trusted company with a good past track record.

Why not enter a Performance Clause that says that if the project is not completed within a stipulated time frame, then the land and whatever buildings are completed will revert back to the Barbudans?

Hugh said:

Quote:

Not feeding candy and balloons to the children of Barbuda in a dirty attempt to buy favour...

That was a really cynical attempt to buy favor, and insulting to the people of Barbuda - like you can buy their opinion for a pile of candy. Nobody grudges kids some candy, but what they were trying to do was obvious, it was just gross. Stand firm, people of Barbuda - first they try to coax you, then they try to buy you. They may finish by insulting you if you reject them, but it doesn't matter - if you let them in, they'll own you.

'Impartial' - really?

Who would accuse everyone criticizing this proposal of being 'negative and jellous' ?

Who would boast of '...the fathers super hot girl friend..' ?

Who but the man himself?

What a dumb comment!! You clearly trade on 'jealousy' with your even dumber comment about some girlfriend. Ha ha

you ask "WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR ANTIGUA?"

Answer is following the law for a start! Oh and lets not forget paying taxes!
And then there is reading facts and offering opinions which might help the people of Barbuda. And probably lots more!

Not feeding candy and balloons to the children of Barbuda in a dirty attempt to buy favour (see old cover of Observer), breaking the law and not paying our way for duties owed!

Try that for an answer.

Impartial - 'negative and jealous'? - dah joke yah tarl!

I'm for the right development in the right place (like finishing Jolly Harbour). I wish them the best for the fish and chip bus. But ambition isn't enough with a project this big -you need experience they don't have. In fact, their previous is negative, see below re. Harbour View.

Just compare them to the 25 year established company building Christophe Harbour in St Kitts www.christopheharbour.com/ - that's what's needed. Don't tell me - 'ya gotta start someplace' - you don't start with a critical 1000 acres. And that's even if such a project was right for Barbuda, Setting up to sell passports as a sales pitch is a catastrophe in the making in it's own right.

Impartial said:
Quote:

...have you seen the fathers super hot girl friend?

My friend, the depth of your analysis of this situation takes my breath away - I congratulate the lady, and hope they have lots of leisure time together, when this development is turned down.

So.....they have land upon which they are building and they have a new business a Bus from which they are selling Fish and Chips.

This is my question to all you negative and jellous people out there

WHAT ARE YOU DOING for ANTIGUA?

How many of you have started a new business venture in the last year or are you all sitting on your piles of money with nothing to do but critisise ?

Oh one other thing, have you seen the fathers super hot girl friend?

Clearly they are doing something right!

Yeah, Stanhope Shepherd appear to be 'wannabes' in the development game. That St Kitts development is being built by Kiawah Partners, who have 25 years experience of this kind of development, and numerous conservation and planning awards. That's the kind of developer (if any) who might make such a project work, IF it were suitable for Barbuda. But, what chance would such a development have until the St Kitts one is fully finished and sold. Christophe Harbour have permission for 2,000 (!) homes - the turf was broken for the first in 2009, and so far the developers only have artists' impressions of the place on their website - so what chance does a competitor in Barbuda have ? The economics of this project just doesn't add up at all, so my guess is it's a land grab as suggested below.

By comparison Stanhope Shepherd did not do even a environmental **sment on their plan to build 300+ densely packed units on a scrap of land at Harbour Island, Jolly Harbour, - which is facing a judicial review of the planning decision. Detractors say that which was made with suspicious speed (3 days !), and due process was not followed.

A very similar development in St Kitts named Christophe Harbor has been under development for over 4 years ... Sales slowed considerably due to the Economic climate and construction on some of the infrastructure has still to be finished, If this development gets the go ahead it will be 5-6 years behind Christophe Harbor. CH will already have a fully functioning super yacht marina and one of the best golf courses in the Eastern Caribbean which has been designed by Tom Fazio... obviously each island is different and Barbuda is one of the most beautiful in the world but if you had the choice would you buy a house and slip at the one that was prepared earlier by a wealthy and successful development company who own and operate one of the finest marinas in the USA and operate one of the finest PGA golf courses where they regularly hold Major golf tournaments or would you chance investing your money with Stanhope Shepard Ltd a company who's only asset is some land in Jolly Harbor and a bright red double decker bus that sells fish and chips.

Now let's see here - as I understand it, friends, we have a proposed luxury development on at least 1000 acres of virgin land in Barbuda, an as yet unspoiled island. Two exclusive resorts are already standing empty because that business model apparently doesn't work on this island. The developer, Stanhope Shepherd Ltd, is a new company with no previous experience of resort development. Their funding is unclear, apart from previous references to a new Cayman registered hedge fund which claims to be engaged in several small projects of a few $M each. The person commonly known as the 'founding father' of the development company claims to have no association with it, yet appears several times on media as its spokesman. His last commercial venture is a fish and chip van, and he describes himself as a 'convicted **' here www.gnooks.com/discussion/eckart+tolle.html (see post at bottom of the page - moderators please note these are his own words, not my allegation).

No sirree, sure can't see nothing to worry about in this proposal then Jeez, Why is anyone supporting this proposal or even taking it seriously? This is a no brainer catastrophe!

About the Jolly Harbour court planning review, it delayed and not going be heard until the judge who is ill recover, the good Lord willing. And all the time Stanhope Shepherd build, build. It apear like they going to argue it unreasonable to stop they plans when so much built. Pride come before a fall, they say.

Barbuda, beware of strangers bearing gifts, and count your fingers after shaking hands with these people - it was reported earlier they want nearly 1700 acres of land!

I heard tell these developers get every blessed thing they buy for these development tax free, with special deals - their material, their trucks, even they golf carts, while the working people have to pay their TVA, their income tax, their property tax. What kind of foolishness is that? If they have rich people coming to buy their houses, live in their hotels, and play on their golf courses, let them pay their taxes like everyone else - Antigua & Barbuda getting nothing out of this but a big headache maybe.

For those who ask for evidence of local Barbudan opposition to these development plans, read this:

www.barbudaful.net/jickys-latest-news.html

...30th July 2012 article - a very simple, straightforward , and compelling argument against. See also 7th July article about the defunct and decaying K club hotel, for an example of what happens when foreign investors walk away.

Stanhope Shepherd is owned and run by the Barrett family. Mr Derrek Barrett is a twice xxx xxx xxx who has spend time at xxx xxx Pleasure in the UK. xxx a xxx once and yes the Good Lord instructs us to forgive and give a second chance. Committ the SAME xxx again and there should be no further forgivness. If the Honourable Prime Minster allows this to happen he will bring nothing but pain and hardship to the people of Barbuda which they do not need. Where do these people think the buyers are going to come from. They are building in Antigua and I heard nothing was sold of this horrible new development. I would ask for much much more money up front, the people of Barbuda and the Antiguian government will never see a penny of profits from this development it will all be sent and spent off shore around the world.

Oh Why Oh Why would this even be contemplated? This developer needs to finish what they started in Jolly Harbour, plus the golf course is even closed now in Jolly Harbour too....I think they need to make sure they can sell their properties in Antigua first...maybe they are pulling out of Antigua cuz those properties will not sell now that the golf course is closed?? Lets see one project completed before we add another half completed "white elephant" given the current market conditions.

The development was Not approved by the people. Yet council sends a letter to council purporting it was. Therefore the council does NOT represent the people. It is simply a bunch of Functionaries for massa. Brown xxxxx and a drink for the boys does not build a development of this magnitude. It is simply a game of re-sale for the profit. If GOAB / Barbuda allows this then we may as well hand all bak to massa and rename it Jolly circus, join Mr Red on the pipe, and wait for further instruction.

Please don't let this circus come to Barbuda, we don't need these clowns on the island pretending to be International property developers. They will not come up with sufficient funding to build out this development, It has taken them 5 years to start building on the project in Jolly Harbor. They will package the lands and then sell on the parcels at a huge profit. Why do we need these people to do this ! What experience do they have in building a project with a marina and a golf course NONE!

Recently, the developer has successfully completed the development of a fish and chip shop in a swamp outside Jolly Harbour. A shed, a toilet and a double decker bus. Such aspiration and achievement should put Barbudan mInds at ease.

This project is wrong for our sister island. The developer is wrong full stop. Even their friend the honorable Mr. Spencer knows this, hence the stringent conditions. Why does Barbuda even entertain these chancers?

We know tourists and cruises down, hotels in Antiqua were laying off and closing for a while , Antigua real estate office sales are way down with things bad worldwide - so where are the customers going to come from for a huge resort? We have enough white elephants already in Barbuda without building a new one just to make developers rich.

What does Barbuda get out of such developments - do they use local labor to build, or do they ferry all the tradesmen in from elsewhere? Once it's finished, how many local people do they propose to employ, and where will the profits from building and operate it go - will Barbuda (or even Antigua) see any of that?

Stanhope Shepherd may have the money to buy support, but do they have the money to build 1000 acres? They have no experience. Them build a small thing in Jolly Harbour, Antigua now, but nothing else before - except Mr Derek Barret who behind it all build Harbour View, and I hear plenty problem there. This don't feel right at all, maybe just a land grab?