Sally Allen: Barbados' success vs Torbay's planning failures

As I sit at my desk on Sunday morning, when I normally write my column, it is blowing a hooley outside and rain is crashing down relentlessly. Totally depressing. The weather makes a huge difference to my state of mind and when it is like this a black cloud gathers over my thoughts too. Oh, for some sunshine and warm balmy evenings! It feels to me as if the weather is reflecting the ghastly state of the country.

I was very lucky recently to spend two glorious weeks in Barbados. When I first went there in the early 70s, the island was poor and suffering from a lack of investment after it had gained independence in 1966.

Comparing Barbados' economic landscape from my first visit and now in 2025, reveals significant transformations in its financial structure and investment sources, and something we all can learn from.

In the early 1970s, Barbados started to transition from an economy primarily based on agriculture, especially sugar production, to one focusing on tourism and manufacturing. 

The GDP was modest, and the country was laying the groundwork for economic diversification. Now, Barbados has evolved into a service-oriented economy with tourism, international business services, and renewable energy as key sectors. 

The nation has implemented innovative financial strategies, such as the world's first 'debt-for-climate resilience' swap, channelling $165 million into projects aimed at mitigating climate change damages. Yes, who knew that was available?

As you will all know, Barbados is a tiny island, only 21 miles long and 14 miles wide, even smaller than Torbay, and with many of the same problems, like sewage dumping, which when I lived there in the 80s, was in danger of killing off some of the coral reefs. 

Since then, Barbados has successfully completed this unprecedented debt-for climate operation to finance water and sewage projects resilient to climate change. Through support from its international funding partners, Barbados has replaced outstanding, more expensive debt with more affordable financing, generating US$125 million in fiscal savings which will be used to enhance water resource management and increase water and food security. Frankly, something every island on the planet should be considering.

To achieve its goals, Barbados attracted diverse international investments. Notably, the 'debt-for-climate resilience' swap involved financing from the Inter-American Development Bank and the Green Climate Fund, which provided a $40 million grant. Additionally, the European Investment Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank backed a $297 million sustainability-linked loan with guarantees.

In short, they have attracted international investment to turn their country around. Now, is ‘Rachel from Accounts’ up to the job of finding innovative ways to help us out of our financial hole and stimulate business? I think not. We need a different way of thinking to move forward. 

Since the Labour Party assumed power last year, government borrowing has increased notably. 

Between April and September 2024, the government borrowed £79.6 billion, which was nearly £7 billion more than anticipated by the Office for Budget Responsibility. By December 2024, total borrowing for the financial year had reached £129.9 billion, marking an £8.9 billion increase compared to the same period in the previous year. It appears that no government has known what they were doing for decades!

Apart from constantly asking myself on days like this, why I ever came home from the ‘island in the sun’, surely it should also make us ask how this tiny island can turn their economy around from poor to booming and we seem unable to.

Another lesson to learn from Barbados is planning. They build sympathetically to their environment, which is how they have retained the natural beauty of the island. Sympathetic architecture should be the first tick on the planners list. Something that the Torbay Council should hold their heads in shame over. 

Just look at the new Corbyn Head hotel monstrosity. Firstly, the building is way too large for the plot and secondly it is beyond ugly. It should never have been allowed as it is a blot on the landscape of Torbay. 

What I will never understand is why nobody learns from their previous mistakes, and let’s be honest there are so many to choose from. You only have to walk around the Bay to see the monstrous mistakes that the planners have made. To name just two Fleet Walk and Coral Island/Living Coasts.

I was born in Torquay during the golden years and love the area and its natural beauty, which is why it makes me see red when there is this wanton disregard for the outcome of the ongoing destruction of our historical architecture. 

I love modern buildings, but they have to be in keeping with their surroundings. Again, I go back to Barbados where one of the most famous, beautiful and successful hotels in the world, Sandy Lane, was completely rebuilt in 1998. 

The decision was made to totally demolish the existing structure, and rebuild, but of paramount importance to the new owners was their desire to preserve Sandy Lane's aesthetic design and unique ambiance, at whatever cost. 

Great precision even went in to protecting the ancient mahogany trees on the site. Why oh why was this not a condition of the planning permission given to the Fragrance Group before the destruction of the Palace Hotel? 

It is not as if they didn’t have the funds to do it. The building could have and should have been restored. Now we are left with rubble and excuses. 

We have so much natural beauty on our doorstep, we have to stop this mindless, unconsidered ugliness further encroaching on what was once proud to be called the English Riviera.