The National Trust needs to be reformed, the heritage preservation advocacy group Citizens for Conservation (CFC) says. The trust was established by an act of Parliament in 1991 to ensure the legal protection and preservation of T&T’s historical buildings and heritage sites.
In a statement, CFC said the National Trust had a “poor performance track record,” and was “largely responsible for the sad state of affairs that exists today where none of our historical buildings or sites are listed for protection and there is no restoration or maintenance policy.” In calling on Minister of National Diversity and Social Integration Clifton De Coteau to “rectify” the problem, the group said a proper administrative infrastructure was needed.
In May, CFC and the Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration hosted a heritage workshop which was conducted by the London-based International National Trusts Organisation (INTO). After the workshop, INTO submitted a report to De Coteau which outlined the way forward for a successful national trust and heritage sector. “We intend to press persistently for the implementation of all aspects of the report,” the group said.
Rudylynn Roberts, president of CFC, said she could not divulge the details of the report. In an interview, she said the reform should produce a more vibrant, membership-driven trust. The group also called on Government to establish a “Heritage Preservation Fund,” a permanent financial resource similar to the Green Fund. “This fund will be used for the restoration and maintenance of private and public historic buildings and sites, art and artifacts,” the group said.
Roberts said the Government needed to provide financial incentives to owners of buildings that are listed as heritage sites, as is the norm in other countries. “People cannot afford to restore their buildings...Owners should be able to apply for a grant if their property is listed as a heritage site,” he said. The result of these efforts, Roberts said, would be a thriving heritage tourism industry.
After positive discussions with De Coteau and almost two years of lobbying, the group has been assured that restoration works on Mille Fleurs—one of the Magnificent Seven—would begin soon. Saying that they do not intend to stop here, CFC also called on the Government to roll out a timetable for restorative works to be done on the rest of the Magnificent Seven and other heritage sites.