TCI News
From Removal to Redevelopment: ISU Announces 27 Concepts
Turks and Caicos, December 12, 2025 – For the Turks and Caicos Islands, the shift from removal to redevelopment marks a profound national pivot — one that redefines how the country confronts a problem that has quietly reshaped its landscape for more than a decade.
At a media briefing held Tuesday, December 11, the Informal Settlements Unit (ISU) confirmed that it has now reviewed 35 informal settlement sites for full redevelopment and is advancing 27 conceptual redevelopment designs, signalling a move beyond enforcement toward long-term planning and land re-imagination.
The announcement comes after nearly three years of intensive work under the leadership of Carlos Simons KC, a former justice of the Supreme Court and one of the country’s most respected legal minds. For Simons, who is himself a Turks and Caicos Islander, the mandate has never been cosmetic. Informal settlements, he has repeatedly stressed, are not simply unsightly — they pose public safety risks, strain infrastructure, undermine land ownership regimes, and create environments vulnerable to criminal activity.
Turks and Caicos remains the only British Overseas Territory grappling with informal settlements at this scale.
From Clearance to Control of Land
Since its inception, the ISU has focused first on reclaiming land that had fallen outside the bounds of planning and regulation. According to data presented, more than 800 informal structures have been addressed across Crown land, private land, and other properties, with the bulk of activity concentrated in Providenciales, and additional operations carried out in Grand Turk and North Caicos.
Providenciales accounts for the largest share of reclaimed acreage and enforcement actions, reflecting both population density and the concentration of informal developments. In Grand Turk, ISU interventions have been more targeted, often tied to flood-prone or environmentally sensitive areas. North Caicos, while hosting fewer informal settlements, has now been formally incorporated into the Unit’s monitoring and redevelopment framework.
To date, the ISU reports approximately 35 acres of land reclaimed, creating, for the first time, a realistic platform for planned redevelopment rather than ad-hoc clearance.
Redevelopment, Not Replacement
What distinguishes this phase of the ISU’s work is not simply the scale of removal, but the clarity of what comes next.
Officials confirmed that 27 redevelopment concepts are now in progress, supported by land already under government control. These are
housing-led but not housing-only designs, incorporating infrastructure layouts, access routes, drainage, and green space — a deliberate break from the sprawl and density that defined informal settlements.
One example shared, illustrated the potential of vertical, modular development: a 2.5-acre site, previously crowded with informal structures, re-imagined to accommodate 105 formal housing units, alongside communal space and planned utilities. The intent, ISU officials said, is to replace disorder with density done right — preserving land while increasing livability.
The Survey Behind the Strategy
Central to the ISU’s evolving approach is a comprehensive Social Needs Assessment Survey, designed not merely to count structures, but to understand the people who lived within them.
The survey spanned multiple islands and dozens of informal settlement sites, collecting data on household size, age distribution, employment status, length of residence, access to utilities, sanitation conditions, flood exposure, and vulnerability factors. It captured information across genders and age groups, with particular attention to working-age adults, children, and households headed by single earners.
Officials described the survey as essential to avoiding a blunt enforcement model. Instead, the data is being used to inform redevelopment planning, guide social interventions, and identify patterns — including how long informal settlements persist, how residents integrate into the labour force, and where the greatest risks to health and safety lie.
The findings reinforced what authorities had long suspected: informal settlements are not transient. Many households had occupied land for years, often without basic services, and in conditions that posed escalating risks during heavy rains or storms. The survey now forms a baseline against which future redevelopment and resettlement outcomes will be measured.
Targeting the Next Generation
Recognising that enforcement alone cannot dismantle a culture of informal construction, the ISU launched youth-focused initiatives over the past year, aimed squarely at prevention.
Through school engagement, creative challenges, and public education campaigns, the Unit has begun addressing the mindset that normalises shanty-style building. Officials described the youth programmes as an investment in long-term cultural change, encouraging young people to see planning, legality, and design as non-negotiable elements of national development.
The initiatives also seek to foster pride in place — reframing orderly development not as exclusionary, but as essential to safety, dignity, and opportunity.
A National Turning Point
The ISU’s presentation makes clear that Turks and Caicos has entered a new phase in confronting informal settlements — one grounded in data, planning, and land control, rather than reaction.
Whether the country can sustain the political will, funding discipline, and cross-agency coordination required to move concepts into construction remains to be seen. But for the first time, the national conversation has shifted.
This is no longer only about what must be removed.
It is about what can — and should — be built in its place.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: — Beaches Turks & Caicos continues to lead the way in sustainability by cultivating a
culture of environmental stewardship across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Through the introduction of biodegradable alternatives, agricultural education and community partnerships, the resort is setting a new standard for eco-conscious hospitality. As part of its ongoing sustainability mission, the resort has replaced single-use plastics and certain chemicals with compostable, biodegradable products derived from natural sources, to reduce pollution and minimize the resort’s carbon footprint.
“At Beaches Turks & Caicos, sustainability is woven into every part of the guest experience,” said Managing Director, James McAnally. “From the products we use to the relationships we nurture, our goal is to make responsible environmental choices that benefit our guests, team members and the wider Turks and Caicos community.”
The resort also practices on-site composting, recycling fruit and vegetable waste from its kitchens to enrich soil and sustain its lush
landscaping. This closed-loop system reduces waste and promotes biodiversity across the property.
Beyond the resort, Beaches collaborates with local partners including schools, government agencies and NGOs to extend green education into the wider community. Through the Sandals Foundation, the resort supports projects such as the installation of water filtration systems, tree-planting activities and biodegradable workshops. Schools like Enid Capron Primary have expanded their farming projects and integrated agricultural science into their curriculum thanks to this partnership. Beaches also leads regular coastal cleanups and reforestation drives which inspires residents and students to play an active role in protecting their environment. “The Earth Guardian volunteers take pride in giving back to our schools and the communities we serve,” noted Public Relations Manager, Orville Morgan. “These initiatives create a sense of shared responsibility that strengthens both our communities and our natural resources.”
With its commitment to biodegradable innovation, sustainable education and environmental action, Beaches Turks & Caicos continues to set the benchmark for biodiversity and sustainability in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Photo Captions
1st insert: Beaches Turks and Caicos and the Sandals Foundation celebrate with students at the Enid Capron Primary School in a Reading Road Trip experience where guests and students get to experience a cultural melting pot of activity.
2nd insert: Beaches Turks and Caicos resort Simone Woodfine from the Bar Department prepares to plant a tree at one of our schools to celebrate the mission of providing a healthier environment for the Turks and Caicos Islands
TCI News
Turks and Caicos Corporate Community Join Beaches Resort to Raise Funds for Jamaica’s Hurricane Melissa Relief
Turks and Caicos Islands, December 17, 2025 – Corporate partners in and around Providenciales recently joined Beaches Turks and
Caicos Resort raising over US $54,000 to support Jamaica’s Hurricane Melissa Relief effort. The fundraising dinner, aptly titled, ‘One Caribbean, One Family, One Love’ saw over eighteen companies gather on Friday, December 12 to support the recovery of families and the rebuilding of communities affected by the category 5 storm.
“When our Caribbean family calls, we will respond with love,” said Deryk Meany, General Manager of the Beaches Turks and Caicos resort. “Today it is Jamaica that is affected, but tomorrow, it could be the Turks and Caicos or another neighbouring island. We are committed to serving our brothers and sisters and are deeply grateful to everyone who have donated to the cause.”
Since the passage of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica on October 28, the Sandals Foundation has been working around the clock with local
agencies and international partners to provide shelter essentials, food, and clean water, restore schools, and provide medical support to hospitals. Funds raised at the recent benefit dinner will help bolster the next phase of the philanthropic organisation’s support to rebuild schools and livelihoods in affected communities.
“As we continue to provide essential first-relief support, we have already begun our long-term recovery response,” says Patrice Gilpin, Public Relations Manager at Sandals Foundation. “Many schools, which are the cornerstone of stability, learning, and emotional support for our young ones, require urgent attention. This donation will go a far way in restoring a sense of normalcy in the lives of our youngest and most vulnerable.”
The One Caribbean, One Family, One Love fundraising dinner featured, amongst other things a silent auction of Sandals and Beaches
Resort stays, airline tickets, spa services, catamaran cruise, and private chef dinner. The night’s four course meal was also spearheaded by the TCI’s 2025 Taste of the Caribbean silver medalist culinary team- all of whom volunteered for the event.
Managing Director of the Northern Caribbean and Curaçao, James McAnally expressed delight at the outcome noting, “The success of this event is indicative of the power of partnerships to effect real change. We are grateful to the TCI business community, resort guests and our resort team for coming together and making this moment count.”
Photo Captions
1st insert: Sandals Foundation Public Relations Manager Patrice Gilpin (centre) accepts the cheque from Beaches Turks and Caicos resort General Manager Deryk Meany (left) and Managing Director of the Northern Caribbean and Curacao James McAnally
2nd insert: Members of the Beaches Turks and Caicos resort’s entertainment team were on hand to provide scintillating performances at the event
3rd insert: Beaches Turks and Caicos resort General Manager Deryk Meany (5th left) poses for the cameras with representatives of the Graceway Communities as he personally thanked those who were in attendance
