The Saint Lucia National Trust is very pleased that the concerted effort of the River Doree Revival Group in collaboration with the National Trust and the Royal Saint Lucia Police force, has led to the return of the historic mill wheel.
Last week, the Trust was informed by a concerned citizen, about tampering with, and possible removal of the historical objects on the site, including the mill wheel, stones from the buildings and other objects.
The Trust advised members of the River Doree Revival Group that there was a possibility that the wheel was at risk of being stolen.
Subsequently the Trust was alerted by the group that the wheel had indeed been taken. During that time, the Trust continued to liaise with the group, the police and the media towards assisting in the recovery of the heritage item.
The Trust was equally alarmed to hear of the concurrent attempt made to steal heritage objects from nearby Balenbouche Estate.
In 1991, The Trust delivered a national Systems Plan for Protected Areas, a comprehensive policy document created through a broad consultative process.
The River Doree – Piaye Landscape was recommended to be one of the Protected Areas within the Systems Plan.
Though the Systems Plan has not been adopted into law, it continues to be used by government as a guidance document in assessing development applications.
In addition to the work the Trust undertook with the River Doree community during the development of the Systems Plan, the Trust made several site visits to River Doree and met with the River Doree Revival Group.
The recommendation that the site should be designated as an Environmental Protected Area, along with the relevant sections of the Physical Planning Act that enable the designation of areas as protected, were provided to the group and presented to the Parliamentary Representative for Choiseul-Saltibus.
In accordance with the Trust Act, the Trust will continue to work with the River Doree Revival Group and the Balenbouche Estate to assist with their campaign to keep their historic built and natural heritage intact and in situ and to have the River Doree historic landscape designated as a Protected Area.
The Trust remains available to advise landowners and other communities on the management and preservation of heritage assets.
The Trust urges the Government to expedite the designation of the area as a protected site as this will provide the Group with the legislative teeth to effect appropriate protection.
SOURCE: Saint Lucia National Trust
this is just sad
What do you expect when the people have no universities, no museums, no national theatre to educate themselves? They won’t appreciate their heritage but would rather pillage it for peanuts. The government still has not understood the importance of these institutions to educate the people hence why our society to some extent is backward in their thinking….there are more churches per capita than there are schools….that tells you something….it tells you the nation places more important on snake oil religions than they do to educating themselves with worthwhile educational pursuits….Look at the advanced countries… universities, museums, theatres galore and it shows in the mature thinking of the general public…yes there are churches but religion as statistics has shown is becoming more and more irrelevant….a latest survey is the USA shows for the first time Christianity has fallen below 50%…..those selling snake oil hopium to the masses are fooling the people and them pocketing huge sums of money then living lavish livestyles ……so when you see people don’t cherish their heritage and go as far as to damage, pillage, destroy and steal it, it says a great deal about the nation…..sad sad sad …
@C-Wiz Hear, Hear!
Final found their voice to show that their still exist by challenging something which does not offend the government of the day.
Wouldn’t be surprised if they stole and returned it themselves for relevance!
According to the PM, I know who’s behind it!
The plague of ignorance and uneducation is rampant in St. Lucia. Life is learning and I continue to learn on a daily basis …these fools are not interested in learning anything but EVIL and DESTRUCTION to SELF and COUNTRY ….
Everything for yall ppl is politics thats why st.lucia in state its in now gosh!! The wheel was found in a hotel in soufierre no one is talking about it ..I sick of yall hacks from both sides yall killing the country 😒
why isn’t anyone saying which hotel it was found at????