JUDITH Slater ends her four-year tour of duty next month as Britain’s top diplomat in Jamaica, full of the joys of spring.

Her pleasure is not rooted in the fact that she is returning home to England. It’s more driven by the developmental impact that a number of her Government’s projects are having on the island.

The projects are many but Slater, British high commissioner since October 2021, has a few favourites — and her face lights up when she’s asked about them: The multimillion-dollar accelerated bridge renewal programme; introduction of new polymer banknotes; and the National Stadium redevelopment project came easily to mind as she sat with the Jamaica Observer last Monday.

From all indications, the stadium project is dear to Slater’s heart, given her deep passion for sport.

“I think if the stadium gets done — I won’t be here when it’s finally done because these things take a long time — but if the stadium is renovated…I think that would be absolutely lovely, given how interested I am in sport,” Slater said during the end-of-tour interview.

Last month, Jamaica’s Sports Minister Olivia Grange and principal of British company Ryder Architecture Jonathan Seebacher unveiled the redevelopment plan for Independence Park, which includes the 59-year-old stadium.

Construction on the multi-billion-dollar redevelopment project is scheduled to begin early next year, with completion expected by 2029.

Ryder Architecture and CAA Icon, which will have oversight on the construction, have previous experience with large stadium projects including Wembley in London, Arsenal FC’s Emirates, Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge, and Italy’s San Siro.

The National Stadium redevelopment — being funded by the Jamaican Government through a framework for cooperation with UK Export Finance — will see an expansion of the seating capacity from 29,000 to 37,500; installation of additional roofing which will cover 90 per cent of the facility; and modern amenities that will meet the standards of world football governing body FIFA, as well as World Athletics.

“If Jamaica has a track which hosts the World Athletics Championships and other big events I would love to feel that I was a part of that,” Slater said.

“As a diplomat it’s often the case [that] you never do anything all on your own and you can never say, ‘That was all me.’ And that’s absolutely the case with this, too, but I do think I’ve been very instrumental in pushing this along, getting the budgets together, persuading successive finance ministers that this makes sense, explaining what UK Export Finance can actually do, and getting us — to use a sporting cliché — beyond the start line. We’re not yet at the finish line but we are in the middle of the race, if you like, with the stadium,” Slater added with a broad smile.

The bridge programme is also being funded by UK Export Finance. Under that initiative, approximately 55 bridges across the island are being replaced to enhance connectivity, public safety, and economic growth.

“That’s going to really bring significant benefits for ordinary Jamaicans when the bridges get repaired because there are 800 bridges in Jamaica,” Slater said, adding that she was surprised on learning the number.

In January this year the Observer reported Robert Morgan, the minister with responsibility for works, as saying that under the programme, 55 modular bridges — which are being built in the United Kingdom by British firm Acrow, a global leader in bridge infrastructure for more than 75 years — will start arriving in the island by late this year.

The bridges will then be installed by Lagan Aviation, a UK contractor that specialises in civil engineering on complex projects.

Both firms already have experience with Jamaica and will work closely with the National Works Agency.

Last week Slater said the Jamaican Government is, “keen to do more” than the 55 bridges, a development she’s pleased about as the infrastructure project, “is not glamorous, but it’s bringing practical benefit to Jamaicans”.

The introduction of the new polymer banknotes is another achievement that has given the veteran diplomat great satisfaction. The notes are printed by British firm De La Rue, regarded as the world’s largest commercial banknote printer.

“We worked with De La Rue, and what we had to do was just explain what they had to offer and that their offering was not the cheapest but that there were benefits,” Slater explained.

Among those benefits are a number of security features that, the Jamaican Government says, enhance the durability and resilience of the notes against counterfeiting, assist visually impaired people, instil greater confidence in the local currency, and bolster the country’s financial system.

Slater is also pleased with the contribution she has made to development projects, among them the smart health-care facilities which, she acknowledged, were initiated by her predecessor Asif Ahmad; and the £17.3-million ($3.5-billion) Southern Plains Agricultural Development Project, which includes the Parnassus Irrigation System and Agro-Park in Clarendon.

Funded through the UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund, the project was commissioned in April this year to improve irrigation, infrastructure, and climate resilience for farming communities in Clarendon and St Catherine.

“That was a real high point, actually,” she said in reference to the commissioning of the irrigation system.

“As I say, as diplomats we we know that we’re part of a chain, and we pass seamlessly from one to the next…Sometimes you get to benefit from things that you’re responsible for, and sometimes you get to benefit from things that others are responsible for,” Slater reiterated.

The list of projects is extensive, but the outgoing British envoy obviously enjoyed working on them while strengthening relations between London and Kingston.

“We have had some really significant achievements,” she said, and pointed out that between 2022 and 2024 overall bilateral trade between both nations increased by about 40 per cent.

“That’s quite significant,” she said. “But, of course, I don’t kid myself that that’s all influenced by me or by what we’re trying to do as Government.”

An artist’s rendering of the redesigned National Stadium. Outgoing British High Commissioner to Jamaica Judith Slater is particularly proud of the role she played in getting two British firms, which have previous experience with large stadium projects, involved in this redevelopment work.