1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

LOCAL AREA PLAN FOR CHAGUANAS

1.1 Introduction and Purpose

This draft Local Area Plan for the Chaguanas area consists of:

· a Master Plan and broad land use strategy for the city region for the period up to 2020; and

· a Technical Report which identifies the key issues affecting of the area and recommends a range of proposals for action.

The preparation of the Plan is part of an on-going process of national and local physical planning which is aimed at updating the current statutory but out-of-date National Physical Development Plan (NPDP). Its purposes are wide-ranging and include:

· providing a basis to guide future development

· helping to increase private sector investment, and

· promoting adoption and implementation of the plan. through extensive consultation and public participation

1.2 The Process of Local Area Planning and Consultation

In the past, many studies of Chaguanas have been carried out to identify problems and suggest solutions. Whilst some improvements have been made, many of the studies have not been fully implemented. This might have been for a number of reasons including:

At the central Government level:

Difficulties in integrating the plans and programmes of the various Ministries and Agencies involved in development planning;

At the local Government level:

Shortage of skills, training programmes and related resources which constrain local government from playing an effective role in planning for their areas;

At the local Community level:

Lack of meaningful public participation which restricts stakeholders and community-based organisations from getting fully involved in planning and implementation (follow-through) of projects in their areas;

The Government has recognised these shortcomings and is now starting a programme of national and local physical planning and consultation to update the statutory but out-of-date National Physical Development Plan. A new Ministry of Integrated Planning and Development has also been created to drive this programme.

1.3 Consultations

Consultations have already commenced with a number of Ministries of central Government development agencies and the relevant local Government authorities for the Chaguanas Study Area.

The Interim proposals described in this Report will be initially refined through discussions with the client UDeCOTT and the INPPC.

Following this, further consultations will be held with Ministries of central governments, other central agencies and the relevant local government bodies. A public consultation exercise is also proposed. Following feedback from this process, the draft Report will be revised and a Master Plan will be produced.

1.4 Study Area

The Chaguanas are is strategically located within the Caroni Region along the Uriah Butler/ Solomon Hochoy national Highway and the Southern Main Road, between Greater Port of Spain and the east-west corridor to the north and Couva/ Point Lisas and San Fernando to the south.

Caroni (1975) Limited, the state-owned company, which embraces the entire sugar industry, is a central feature of the life of Caroni; being the single largest employer in the area and controlling a vast expense of land. The company is synonymous with the history of sugar.

As a consequence of the nationally important highway links and connections to the main ports and urban areas of Trinidad, Chaguanas has become a centre for trade, commerce and distribution.

Other recent trends include the development of a number of large retail malls, retail and wholesale warehouses and distribution centres, making Chaguanas one of the largest concentrations of modern retail floorspace in the country. This is accompanied by a vibrant traditional town centre, with a large market, which is currently being modernised, and a thriving informal retail sector.

The Study Area has been defined based on the earlier Scoping Study and Concept Plan work. Chaguanas sub-region incorporates Caroni Swamp, Felicity and agricultural areas to the west of the existing town, potential areas for urban expansion to the north at Munroe Road and south including Carlsen Field and the main residential settlements to the east.

1.5 Summary of Key Issues

1.5.1 Residential and Employment

The current Study Area population is estimated to be in the order of 91,000. The three major concentrations of population are:

· Chaguanas town including the residential areas of Lange Park, Montrose and Edinburgh 500 with just over 19,000 (24% of the Study Area population);

· The North East sector (Cunupia Mon Plaisir, Bejucal) with 12,500 (16%); and

· Longdenville (Centre and East) with 11,500 people (15%).

All settlements now contain a substantial proportion of residents who work in the Capital Region or are relative newcomers. Ribbon development occurs along most roads, in may cases however the development is not continuous. Concentrated, non-ribbon development occurs in few locations apart from Cunupia, Chaguanas and between Southern Main Road and Caparo Valley Road.

Growth has occurred in three main ways:

· through the development of planned housing estates, e.g., Lange Park, Edinburgh;

· through the extension and subdivision of existing buildings and lots; and

· through the construction of new buildings on existing plots and infilling, i.e., the construction of single dwellings on previously vacant plots.

1.5.2 Agriculture and Mining

Chaguanas is emerging from a rural to an urban-base economy and form of development. Nearly 75% of total land area (approximately 8,230 ha according to the consultant’s estimates) is still under agricultural cultivation, with 85% of land west of the Uriah Butler/ Solomon Hochoy Highway used for sugarcane.

Despite the large amount of land used for agriculture, employment in the sector has declined. Activity is predicted to continue to move towards higher value agricultural production (market gardens, vegetables and agro-processing industries). Future production may also result in increased employment generation and demand for the protection of prime agricultural land. Fragmentation of some plots has led to cane fields remaining fallow and other converting to residential use via multiple occupancy.

At present Caroni (1975) Limited proposes to release specific areas of non-viable and less fertile agricultural land to employment use. Retention of higher quality agricultural lands is also proposed to enable employment to be retained in agricultural industries even if, over the next 20-year period sugar further declines in market value.

Whilst land used for agriculture has contained the spread of urban development in Chaguanas it has facilitated ribbon development along distributor roads. There are concerns over the use of pesticides within rural areas and such pesticides entering the food chain (via surface and ground water).

The Chaguanas Land Use Plan – 1991 zoned land between settlements in the District for agriculture, This has created problems for infill and more ordered development within the urban envelop. Thus a key issue to be addressed by this study is the retention of land in agricultural use and land that may be more suited for urban purposes supporting sustainable urban development patterns.

Mining activities in the area, particularly in Longdenville, are predicted to expand and industries using sand, gravel and clay products are also expected to place demands on the allocation of land. New leases for 100 acres of land are currently being negotiated which will provide around 40 years supply of raw materials for clay-manufactured products. Forestry, also an employment generator in the Longdenville area, will require the conservation and enhancement of forestry reserves.

The Local Area Concept Plan for Chaguanas noted that the eastern parts of the Study Area were sparsely populated but that it has been expanding in recent times.

This expansion was attributed to the long-term clay and plastering sand-mining activities, which have resulted in significant land disturbance – there being several unrestored, mined-out areas as well as active pits. While these mining activities have taken place on the periphery of the Longdenville Forest Reserve, there are several proposals in train for leasing of additional lands for mining within the Reserve.

Quarrying activity on parts of the reserve as well as on private lands on its periphery has left the landscape scarred. The area assumes national importance as two materials important to the construction industry are chiefly obtained from this area – plastering sand at Ravine Sable and clay for the production of building blocks at Longdenville. State policy is supporting the continuation of the area as the primary source of these materials. Alternative sites at Claxton Bay have been discounted as they have been said to be of inferior quality in addition to the fact that they impact more significantly on built development.

1.5.3 Trade and Distribution

There has been an increase in trade and distribution activities and the development of manufacturing and retailing activities is expected to expand over the next 20-year period. The location of retail and distribution centres along the Highway is a more recent trend. Demand for other developments is already being experienced and is predicted to increase; given the locational benefits of such sites relative to the national/ regional road network; and the Point Lisas/ Couva industrial area and port facilities.

Discussions with TCPD, the Chaguanas Chamber of Commerce, property advisors and a review of planning applications over the past 5 year period has indicated that demand for warehouse/ distribution and light industrial land has exceeded supply of appropriately zoned land.

1.5.4 Commerce and Retailing

The Chaguanas area is also experiencing strong commercial growth in the formal and informal sectors. A new market in Chaguanas town centre will open shortly to assist in catering for a thriving informal retail sector. Developments along the Highway such as Pricesmart and Food Basket indicate a healthy formal retail sector capable of benefiting from the adjoining Capital Region’s retail spending income.

The Study Area is gaining a reputation as a retail hub for Trinidad and land use demands associated with employment growth in the commercial and retail sectors are key issues to be addressed. Gaining a balance between town centre and out of centre retail development is vital to ensure sustained economic prosperity in Chaguanas.

1.5.5 Environment

In addition to the environment-related effects of flooding and drainage in the Caroni River floodplain (see below), the key environmental issues relate to:

i. Conservation and enhancement of the wetlands, Caroni Swamp and bird sanctuary in the west of the Study Area (an area of some 6,000 ha), in the light of residential and industrial air, water and land pollution;

ii. Conservation and sustainability of the Longdenville Forest Reserve in the face of continuing mineral extraction activities and lack of adequate site restoration planning.

A number of localised air and water pollution problems have been reported: at the local level the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) is the best placed to address the concerns. Encroachment and contamination of the wetlands and infringement of the Forest Reserve require a more comprehensive approach, as a variety of agencies and Government departments and legislation is involved.

A summary of the key problems and issues is provided below.

Wetlands

· The wetlands provide a source of employment and income from natural resource exploitation as well as tourism.

· Wetland areas in central have been affected by built development to the north as well as to the south by the Point Lisas Industrial Estate

· Portions of the wetlands have been utilised for solid waste treatment. This use has become a critical issue as the ponds have been malfunctioning and discharging untreated matter into the Caroni River and surrounding wetlands system.

· Saline incursions (and other pollutants) have already altered the habitat to the extend that there are significantly fewer species living in the swamp as the loss of lower food chain elements has a ripple effect. Caroni Swamp as the nesting site of the national bird – the Scarlet Ibis- was also threatened and is only now just recovering an adequate enough population that would justify the appellation “ land of the Scarlet Ibis”.

· Indirect impacts on the environment of the Caroni Swamp include water-borne pollution from industrial and domestic activities and in particular agro-chemicals in the Caroni area. In addition to field run-off, there have been reports to the EMA of fish kills resulting from crop dusting of the sugar cane fields.

· Lack of adequate access to the marine/ terrestrial interface.

· Dumping of garbage in the wetlands due to the closure of the landfill site at Felicity

· Flood prone areas present public health risk.

Forest Reserve

· Vast areas under forest lead to perception of oversupply and pressure for conversion to other uses.

· Aerial photos show that less than half of forest reserve is comprised of tree stock;

· Unrestored, mined out areas

· Applications for additional areas for mining leases within the Forest Reserve.

· Conflicting use policy as Ministry of Energy and Mines is focusing compatible development into the Longdenville area to optimise natural gas supply line as well as clay and sand deposits. Alternative production sites which would not impact on the Forest Reserve have been dismissed on the basis of too close proximity to residential development. The policy preference which sites this industry in Longdenville could result in conflict for use in areas designated as protected, which are also zones of clay or sand production.

· Dust pollution, not so much as a result of the process of quarrying, but mainly from sand falling off the trucks transporting materials from the quarry.

· Siltation of drains by run-off from the quarry sites.

· Poor record of rehabilitation of quarried or logged areas.

· Need for employment opportunities in area.

· Threat of encroachment from resdential squatters already on the railway reserve.

Institutional Issues

Prior to the establishment of the EMA, the Wildlife Division of the Ministry of Agriculture expressed the view that the sustainable development and management of the environment in Trinidad and Tobago was severely handicapped by the lack of an integrated policy that mandated the protection, management and restoration (where necessary) of the natural environment. This Division also noted that while an attempt had been made via the designation of a system of protected areas, including National Parks and Reserves, inadequate levels of staffing constrained efficient implementation and enforcement.

1.5.6 Transportation

Four interchanges provide access into the Study Area via the Uriah Butler/ Solomon Hochoy Highway. The Southern Main Road also runs through the area connecting the Churchill Roosevelt Highway and Piarco international airport in the north east to the Couva/ Point Lisas area in the south west.

Prior to the construction of the SH Highway the Southern Main Road was the main north south route to Port of Spain and elsewhere in the country. This road is a single carriageway road and its capacity is limited due to frequent ribbon development along its route. The SMR passes through the centre of Chaguanas and connects with the main east-west arterial Highway after passing through several settlements in the Caroni region. The SMR and SH Highway make up the existing primary arterial routes in the Chaguanas.

The main road through the centre (Chaguanas Main Road) merges with the Southern Main Road (SMR) which intersects the Highway in the proximity of the town centre, Frequent traffic congestion particularly during peak times and market days occurs between this interchange and the town centre. Conflict between pedestrians and vehicle traffic makes life hazardous for those using the town centre for business and shopping.

The predominant movement within Chaguanas is between settlements in the east and the town centre. Westbound morning peak hour traffic volume on the Chaguanas Main Road is currently around 1000 vehicles per hour which is at near peak capacity, given the high level of pedestrian activity in the area. Entry points to the Solomon Hochoy Highway are also frequently congested during peak times and on market days.

Maxi taxis are the main mode of public transport linking Chaguanas with other cities in Trinidad. They fall into two categories: the first category are those operating between Chaguanas, San Fernando and Port of Spain using Solomon Hochoy/ Uriah Butler/ Churchill Roosevelt Highways. The second category is those allowed to stop frequently and use the Southern Main Road between Chaguanas and Curepe, and Chaguanas and San Fernando.

Buses are licensed to travel on the SH Highway and consist of express and regualr services linking Chaguanas with other destinations in the country. Long distance route taxis also operate on similar routes as maxi taxis. Local route taxis operate between residential areas and the town centre.

The terminus for all these public transport vehicles is in Chaguanas town centre. The Chaguanas Main Road is the major route for the route taxis operating between the town centre and residential areas to the east of the SH Highway. Congestion of Chaguanas Main Road reduces travelling speed of the route taxis and maxi taxis near the town centre as they are frequently caught in the peak hour congestion.

A disused railway right of way runs diagonally through the Study Area from north east to south west passing adjacent of Chaguanas Town Centre. Squatting has occurred on some sections.

1.5.7 Infrastructure

Water Supply

Although the Study Area contains the largest water treatment works in the country (Caroni Arena), as for many consumers, water supply is currently time-scheduled and most properties have on-plot water storage tanks from which water is drawn when there is no mains supply.

There are no primary water storage facilities within the Study Area and consequently, if the system were operated on a 24-hour supply basis, the trunk main would be required to meet the diurnal peaks in demand. Ideally trunk mains should carry “average day” flow rates only, thereby maximising their daily capacity.

Many of the primary, secondary and tertiary distribution pipes are in a poor condition or hydraulically inadequate and require to be replaced or reinforced. WASA is aware of the deficiencies and plans to carry out rehabilitation works as fund and resources allow. Some sections of pipeline in Felicity and Wong Singh Junction are also planned to be replaced under the North Water Project.

Although the proposed new works will alleviate some of the current deficiencies it is likely to be many years before fully satisfactory levels of service are achieved. From discussions with the Chaguanas Borough Corporation and from an examination of previous reports it appears that the water supply to areas such as Endeavour, Enterprise and Longdenville is particularly poor at present.

Sewage Collection and Treatement

There is no centralised sewerage system or sewage facility within the Study Area but there are a number of discrete property developments, schools and industries that have local sewerage systems draining to dedicated sewage treatment works.

It is understood that WASA is the only agency that is permitted to charge for sewerage services and consequently there has been no revenue stream to finance the operation and maintenance of the private plants. Many developers forced by regulations to provide dedicated treatment works but not to maintain them, constructed inappropriate plants in the first place and failed to maintain and operate them.

Most of the plants are now in a very poor condition and they are generally essentially by-passed, allowing raw sewage to enter the receiving watercourses. WASA is not prepared to adopt non-operational and expensive to run plants and consequently the pollution of streams and rivers is set to continue for the foreseeable future pending resolution of this issue.

Areas not served by the sewerage systems associated with these works are either served by septic tanks where there are water borne sanitary fittings or by pit latrines where residents rely upon standposts or other sources for their water supply.

Because of the restricted porosity of the soils that occur through most of the Chaguanas area the soakaways of septic tanks do no function well. It is common to find that building owners “improve” the discharge of liquor from their septic tanks by constructing drainage paths to nearby surface water drains. The Chaguanas Borough Corporation as well as the EMA have both advised that the pollution of roadside drains as a consequence of this practice is a major problem.

Drainage and Flood Control

Chaguanas is located in the floodplain of the Caparo River. Sediment that is being eroded from the steeper upper reaches of the River Basin is deposited where the gradient of the river becomes flatter. This ongoing deposition forms the floodplain. The natural state of rivers in flood plains is that their discharge capacities are well below frequently –occurring floods.

The low porosity of the soils and flat gradients exacerbate flooding incidents in the area. Recent and on-going improvements to the Caparo and Honda Rivers approved by the Drainage Division are expected to bring relief to the problems caused by water flowing through the area, but localised flooding caused by direct rainfall will continue to occur until local drainage facilities are also improved.

The main flood control works that are currently underway in the Study Area will:

· Cut off overflow to the Cunupia and Chandernagore Basins;

· More fully utilise existing culvert capacity under the Solomon Hochoy Highway;

· Reduce peak flow in the Caparo River through detention storage in the upper reaches of the river basin; and

· Seek to reduce the damage that can be caused by extreme storms that overtax the system.

Reducing damage wrought by extreme storms requires a balance between appropriate land use zoning that reflects possible risks and appropriate levels of building construction to limit damage when extreme floods do occur. Existing policies and standards of design and construction need to be reviewed and clarified in the xontext of planning to mitigate the effects of extreme flooding events.

Energy

Utility corridors/ lines have to date been provided in response to demand. The Energy suppliers do not foresee any major constraints to future provision of services and prefer to be more re-active to development proposals as they arise. It is recommended that the draft Master Plan can play a role in guiding the reservation of utility corridors over the 20-year period.

Solid Waste

Garbage is disposed to Forres Park and septage is disposed to the sewage facility at Beetham. The site at Forres Park was developed to function as the National Landfill with proper waste management procedures. Its relative closeness to Chaguanas should promote proper disposal of waste from this area. In the interest of protecting the wetlands from illegal dumping, the cost of maintaining a transfer station at the Felicity site should be considered, with garbage being compacted then trucked from this site to Forres Park; (given the proximity to Forres Park, the savings in trucking alone would not warrant a transfer station in Chaguanas).

1.6 Socio-Economic Trends

The Chaguanas Local Area is experiencing growth both with regard to population and households generating a demand for employment land. Population is forecast to increase from 91,000 in 2000 to 126,000 by 2020.

Employment is expected to increase from 35,000 jobs in 2000 to55,000 jobs over the same period, an increase of 20,000 in the Study Area.

The role of Chaguanas as a commuter area for the Capital Region will continue but in future is likely to decline in relative importance as its locational advantages stimulate expansion of other local and regional demands.

Analysis of population, employment and migration trends indicates that around 630 hectares of housing land and 300 hectares of employment land would be required over the next 20-year period.

Because of the strategic location of the Study Area and direct access to the national Highway network, demand for employment land is likely to continue to reflect both regional as well as local needs.

1.7 Planning Strategy

Previous plans for the Caroni Region and Chaguanas area have identified the following aims and strategies:

· The region is seen as an economic growth pole providing development opportunities and attracting growth for over-heated areas in Greater Port of Spain and the East-West corridor.

· The area is seen as being attractive for large-scale industrial enterprises, related to its strategic location, a high level of Highway accessibility and proximity to the heavy industrial complex and port at Couva/ Point Lisas and to the Piarco International Airport complex.

1.7.1 Master Plan Objectives

In responding to the key issues identified above, the main objectives of this Draft Master Plan for Chaguanas are considered to be:

· to develop Chaguanas Town Centre as a vibrant and viable location capable of satisfying the majority of the commercial, social, leisure and administrative functions of the Study Area;

· to provide for the projected future demand for housing and employment uses in the Study Area, including these satisfying national and regional demands;

· to provide for an appropriate level of supporting uses, e.g., social and community facilities;

· to consolidate development and restrict urban sprawl so as to facilitate the efficient provision of infrastructure and services, and create an efficient transport network;

· to prevent the further fragmentation of land currently in agriculture, in order to conserve and enhance the longer term sustainability of this sector; and

· to minimise significant adverse environmental impacts, particularly on wetlands (coastal, swamp) and forested areas, and further degradation of the urban environment.

1.7.2 Spatial Considerations

In formulating a spatial strategy for the Study Area, the following considerations are pertinent:

· There is a considerable amount of land currently in agricultural use, which could be released for housing and other uses;

· The analysis of land use in the Study Area in terms of suitability for agriculture indicates relatively little variation in soil potential: a greater proportion of the land to the west of the highway is slightly superior (Class III as opposed to Class IV), whilst much of the land at Carlsen Field to the east is of lower potential (ClassV).

The majority of new land requirements will be for residential use. The principles used to allocate this land will thus strongly influence the overall planning strategy for the Study Area. In this context, a key issue is whether or not land to the west of the highway should be allocated for residential development.

1.7.3 Constraints to Future Development

Other issues on the spatial strategy relate both to environmental factors and the need for integrated and comprehensive planning for key areas. These include:

· The conservation and enhancement of the Caroni Swamp and the proposed National Park policies and objectives;

· The long-term conservation and sustainability of the Longdenville Forest Reserve, and forestry industry, combined with the optimisation and restoration of future planned and committed mineral extraction activities;

· The reservation of land and regulation of development in areas subject to flood protection, drainage and irrigation schemes, in the north west and south of the Study Area; and

· The need for comprehensive investment and infrastructure planning of strategically-important sites, e.g., Carlsen Field.

1.7.4 Future Land Use Allocations

As a principal determinant in the future planning strategy for the Chaguanas area, residential land requirements are a key consideration. Current policy embodied in the existing (1991) TCPD plan and re-affirmed by the Concept Plan prepared in 1999, is for all major residential development to occur east of the highway. The main reasons identified were:

· there is more than enough land to the east to cater for foreseeable residential demand;

· there are substantial, partly-developed areas to the east which should be densified in order to achieve the associated policies of optimising infrastructure provision, whilst containing sprawl and ribbon development;

· the area to the west provides the best potential for the maintenance of a large tract of productive agricultural land, whether this land remains in sugar cane production, or to agro-based enterprises, or is transferred to small-holders; and

· Caroni (1975) Limited’s objectives for re-developing their land could be satisfied through the re-use of their holdings to the east of the highway.

There are however grounds for allowing some development to the west of the highway:

· Whilst Chaguanas town centre is sited west of the highway almost all the residential hinterland lies to the east. Future development to the west would give the centre a more accessible location and facilitate movements between it and its hinterland.

· Proposals exist for development to the west. Planning policies should seek to accommodate private sector development initiatives wherever possible, subject to current policies and regulations.

· Limited development to the west will not preclude future use of the majority of this area for agriculture, though it is considered desirable in this context to consolidate Felicity as a self-sustaining sub-regional centre

· Development to the west will reinforce the provision of a more efficient and balanced transportation system facilitated by the proposed Outer Road Ring which will re-distribute traffic demand on both sides of the Highway.

These latter reasons, and particular that related to the centrality of the town centre, are considered sufficiently compelling to justify a re-orientation of the previous strategy to accommodate the development of some areas to the west and northwest of the highway.

1.8 Proposals

Future housing and employment sites need to have a number of key characteristics including:

· good accessibility to the existing national/ regional/ and local highway networks;

· good linkages to the proposed Outer Ring Road and distributor road network;

· thorough planned urban growth consolidation, benefiting from more efficient provision of infrastructure (particularly water drainage and sewerage);

· proximity to sources of materials particularly for manufacturing industries associated with mining activities and building products;

· well linked to public transport networks (for commercial zoned land); and

· availability of a large pool of appropriately skilled labour.

Although many of the sites identified as being potentially developable are zoned for agricultural use, discussions with Caroni (1975) Limited indicate some releases will be consistent with their current policies. TCPD will need to advise of these proposals, and, during the process of Plan refinement and updating, modifications to this policy by way of change of use variation can be effected, following thorough consultation with key stakeholders.

1.8.1 Residential

About 625 ha of land will be required for new housing over the next 20 years. In relation to the objectives and influences identified above, four types of housing have been identified:

· Large new single ownership developments/ estates;

· Major infill developments on vacant land in multiple ownership;

· Densification of existing areas; and

· Reqularisation of squatting areas.

A total of 12 main sites have been identified as suitable for new housing (refer to Proposals Plan).

No. on Plan	Location	Area (approx.) Ha
1	Egypt Village	25
2	Cumberbatch	80
3	Caroni Savannah Road	75
4	Jerningham Junction	50
5	Longdenville	15
6	Cunupia (east)	20
7	Munroe Road (west)	140
8	Jerningham Road	30
9	Ragoonanan Road	40
10	Felicity	40
11	Cunupia (south west)