Home > Projects > Coastal Infrastructure Programme > Holetown Beach Improvement Project > Social Impacts

The project area is popular amongst tourists for recreational activities such as walking, sunbathing, swimming and snorkelling. Additionally, catamarans and other small boat operators can be seen allowing passengers to disembark on the beach, particularly on the portion of beach in front of the Chefette restaurant. It is expected that there will be varying levels of disruption to these activities during the construction period due to the operation of construction equipment or laying of the walkways which will limit access to the beach to some extent.

There is the potential for increased noise, dust and traffic congestion levels in the area generated by the movement of heavy vehicular traffic to and from the site on a daily basis. Since most of the buildings in the immediate vicinity of the project site are located on the beachfront it is not likely that there will be a noticeable impact of dust generated by the construction activities. The public will be notified of pending construction activities via local newspapers and broadcast media before the project begins. Signage will also be erected, and flag persons will direct traffic.

There are a number of potential benefits expected on completion of the project. These include:

• Increased lateral access (access along the beach) for pedestrians along the coastline.
• Improved recreational value of the coastal area due to the expanded beach width.
• Enhanced aesthestics of the coastal area within the project site due to the implementation of the landscaping programme.