Facilities at the famous Boston Beach in Portland which have remained in a state of disrepair for decades will finally be restored.

Chair of Portland Resort Board and Portland Development Committee Larry Robertson has welcomed the news that the beach, which is to be refurbished by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) to the tune of $15 million, will hopefully return to its former glory days.

Robertson, who was addressing a press briefing at Bay View Spa and Eco Resort last month, said funding is already in place and the contractor will be selected through the usual tender process.

Despite an order by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) for the facility to be closed since last year, the beach is still being used.

Renovation for the run-down facility will include the perimeter fencing, bathroom and changing room amenities as well as landscaping.

Boston Beach is heavily utilised by surfers as a training ground, and is a popular venue for both locals and tourists.

Three years ago, residents of Boston lamented the effects the state of the beach was having on the community, and opposed the plans by the parish council to divest the property.

The residents blamed the lack of bathroom and changing facilities at the beach for the decline in visitors to the community and the subsequent downturn in the jerk business at the once thriving Boston jerk pit. They pointed to the fact that despite years of promises by successive governments, the facilities which were damaged by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 were yet to be restored.

Those who eke out a living from the once thriving Boston jerk pit said they were reeling from the decline in visitors to the beach as it forced many of them out of the jerk business.

The move to renovate the facilities at the beach is part of government’s effort to spend $252 to improve six beaches across the island for public access.

The plan to develop at least one beach in each parish for Jamaicans is being undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with TEF, NEPA and the Urban Development Corporation.

Tourism Minister Dr Wykeham McNeill, who made the announcement during his prsentation in the 2014/15 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives last May, said the initiative is to ensure that Jamaicans are able to enjoy their patrimony through access to the beach.

“We are now implementing a programme where at least one beach in every parish, and multiple in some, will be transformed to make quality recreational spaces available to the public: residents and visitors alike. These will operate at the best international standards,” Dr McNeill said.

He added that the improved beaches will have children’s play areas, seating with tables, picnic areas and gazebos, restrooms and changing room facilities, adequate parking, lifeguard towers, and utilities such as water and electricity.

Speaking at a recent stakeholders meeting, Dr McNeill, in highlighting the ministry’s “long-standing concerns” regarding challenges which persons, particularly locals, experienced in accessing several of the island’s beaches, reiterated that the endeavour aims to facilitate them on “some of the finest beaches in the island”.

“Years ago…you would be driving along and decide you want to stop at a beach…(and) there were (many) more areas (then, compared to now) where you could just go and swim. It is our feeling that there must be places across the length and breadth of this island where people can go…and have access to the best beaches in the country,” the minister stated.

Meanwhile, Robertson also announced that the cross-country bus company Knutsford Express will be extending its services to Port Antonio by the end of March.

Knutsford Express operates bus routes that connect Jamaica’s south-eastern capital city Kingston to northern and western parishes. It offers scheduled coach transportation, courier service, private hire, and special-event shuttles.

— Everard Owen