For years the beautiful Leeward town of Layou has been threatened by the ocean.

Years of wave action had seriously eroded the coastline threatening the main highway and access to the communities further north. In the late 1990’s three storms wrecked havoc on the Layou waterfront and the problem became so critical that Government decided to move quickly to correct the situation.

Parliamentary Representative for the area Hon. Louis Straker visited the site in July 2002 and promised to transform the area.

On Monday, the residents of Layou turned out in their numbers to witness the opening of what can be termed as “the pride of Layou” the Layou Water Front and Promenade.

Fours years ago, Parliamentary Representative Sir Louis Straker had no idea what would have been done, but today boast in all his glee of having a water front that is unique to St.Vincent and the Grenadines. Construction started on this Water Front project in 2005. The firm that was awarded the contract was Novaport International Consultants Limited.

President of Novaport John Jay said it the project was an interesting one and when given the contract two years ago to work on it he saw it as an opportunity to do something unique to this country.

Deputy Prime Minister and area representative Sir Louis Straker told the delighted residents that in 1995 he petitioned to the then government to do something about the eroding waterfront. He said in 2000, the World Bank had decided to fund the project under the condition that work had to commence within a year. This, he claimed was not done and the money was taken back. Sir Louis said the initial cost of the project had risen and when he approached the Prime Minister about additional funds, he was quickly reassured that funding would be made available.

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves journeyed directly to Layou after returning from a recent visit overseas to deliver the feature address. Dr. Gonsalves gave a brief overview of the origin of the project pointing out that one of the conditions put down by the World Bank for re-funding the project is the responsibility of disaster preparedness had to be assumed by him. Dr. Gonsalves said he could no have allowed the opportunity to slip again and managed to persuade them by guaranteeing the Bank that their requested undertaking would be given.

The Layou coastal protection project is the single most costly project under the World Bank projects.