Partners discuss‘Greater Victoria’ detailed master plan

Partners discuss‘Greater Victoria’ detailed master plan

23-September-2014


How to better plan not only the physical disposition of Victoria but also daily life in the world’s smallest capital in terms of work space, habitat, traffic flow, parking facilities, leisure as well as drainage, elimination of sewage etc?

The question is surely a pertinent one as the centre of our small and only town becomes more and more congested while vertical expansion replies to inevitable urban development. If proper town planning and management is not applied, we can end up with savage, unharmonised and risky spread out as is unfortunately currently experienced by many African cities, including in neighbouring Madagascar and Comoros.

This is exactly the aim of the Seychelles Strategic Plan being elaborated with the collaboration of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC); to Mr Al Kuwaiti will be based here for the next 12 months as UPC’s project manager for the development of the planelaborate what has been called the ‘New Victoria’ will look like by the year 2040.

The Ministry of Land Use and Housing and the Planning Authority are since yesterday bringing together all partners and stakeholders at the International Conference Centre (ICCS) in a first charette to discuss the strategic plan. The three-day workshop which is supposed to be among a series of others programmed is the result of national-wide consultations which have been going on for some time both with the public and private sectors.

The objective is to present the work done to date and analyse emerging findings, assumptions and options in order to put all concerned in a better position to take part in the next phase of the project which will be the elaboration of a master plan.

The workshop attended by government ministers, members of the National Assembly as well as the executive director for planning & infrastructure in the UPC Amer Al Hammadi and a pool of consultants, was officially opened by the Minister for Land Use and Housing Christian Lionnet.

Minister Lionnet described the charette as an important stage of the project to produce a strategic plan for the formulation of a detailed master plan for what he termed as “greater Victoria”.

“The formulation of a strategic plan and a master plan for greater Victoria has the potential to shape the future of our small island state. Getting it right is paramount to achieving our full potential for the betterment of our people and the next generation. I urge you all to contribute and participate actively and make this our plan,” he said.

On his part, Ahmed Al Kuwaiti who will be based in Seychelles for the next 12 months as UPC’s project manager for the development of the plan, has pledged the full support of the Abu Dhabi government in delivering a plan with the best planning practices and which will make Seychelles proud and confident as it moves forward.

“Development pressures and the need to enhance economic growth both result in a challenge to your environment, your economy and your resources. By providing a strategic plan and master plan for development, many of these challenges can be identified and proactively planned so that all future decisions lead you to delivering the vision you agree for your country. This vision, and the strategy that will flow from it will include how places will develop, where people may live, where businesses may grow, what industries may be encouraged and what environmental assets will be fully protected,” he said.

He concluded that with a detailed master plan, Victoria can become a thriving place where people not only work, but live and spend their free time.
The Ministry of Land Use and Housing has plans to draw up the same strategic plan for Praslin and La Digue in the future.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=243086