The Suarez Brothers Circus was busy dismantling its tents at The Belle, St Michael, yesterday after Government abruptly pulled the plug on its operations, citing environmental concerns.
Senior Government officials were simultaneously scrambling to find an alternative venue, touring the Garrison race track to assess its viability. Other sites under consideration included the Vaucluse, St Thomas drag racing strip.
The DAILY NATION understands that the sudden shutdown has triggered a high-level investigation into how the circus was permitted to set up on the grounds in the first place and has left the circus management requesting financial relief among other claims.
The show was originally scheduled to open last Friday and run until August 23. However, delays in clearing equipment from the Bridgetown Port pushed the opening back to Sunday evening.
The circus managed to stage just one of its three scheduled daily shows before it was forced to cease operations. The closure came after it was revealed that The Belle is a Zone-A groundwater protection area.
Ministerial team
It is also understood that on Monday, a ministerial team led by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley visited the grounds and informed circus management that they would have to relocate.
When contacted yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw, who holds the portfolio for Environment and National Beautification, explained the bureaucratic mix-up that led to the embarrassing saga.
“The Botanical Gardens would have given them permission in order to be able to use the designated area, which is obviously in a Zone 1 area. But they would also have had to get permission from Planning and all of the other agencies, which apparently they applied for,” Bradshaw said.
She noted that the operators proceeded based on temporary permission from the Botanical Gardens, but that approval was subsequently overridden by the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) due to the environmental sensitivity of the zone.
Bradshaw deferred further questions to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Marsha Caddle, explaining that she was chairing the committee tasked with resolving the issue. However, up to press time, Caddle, who has dayto- day responsibility for Economic Affairs and Planning, had not responded to queries, indicating she was locked in meetings all day.
Cross-agency clearances
Meanwhile, sources said Government had launched an internal probe to determine exactly which official authorised the circus to set up at The Belle without the necessary cross-agency clearances.
As part of the investigation, officials are also scrutinising fee waivers and concessions granted to the Suarez Brothers Circus, which last visited Barbados 20 years ago.
This newspaper submitted a number of questions to Caddle seeking clarity on the fiasco, including:
• When did Government first engage the circus, who led the negotiations and what commitments were made regarding the location?
• Which ministry or agency is ultimately responsible for ensuring all statutory approvals are met before an entity occupies Government land?
• Who specifically designated The Belle site and gave the authorisation to set up there?
• What legal licences existed for the circus to operate at The Belle?
• Were critical agencies – including the Planning Department, Water Authority, Environmental Department, Labour Department, Police Service and Fire Service – properly consulted?
• Will the circus receive any further concessions given that it now has to relocate?
Meanwhile, sources revealed that management at the circus have complained to Government about suffering significant financial losses due to the abrupt cancellation.
Financial loss
They are also reportedly requesting a complete waiver of any fees associated with relocating to a new venue. Furthermore, it is understood that the Suarez Brothers Circus is weighing its options in terms of recovering financial losses incurred.
An official from the circus said arrangements were being made for them to relocate but up to yesterday they were still in the dark as to the specific location. (MB)
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