In a bold stance, Senator Dr Crystal Haynes has voiced strong opposition to the government’s proposal to relinquish control of the historic Holetown Civic Centre in St James to a private tourism operator.In the Upper House on Wednesday she called for the land to remain publicly accessible, highlighting concerns over heritage preservation and the environmental impact on the already highly congested Holetown area.While noting to other senators that she struggled with her feelings on the matter, she emphasised the importance of protecting Barbados’ historical and cultural sites, pointing to recent efforts at Newton Burial Ground and Golden Square as examples of the government’s previous promises of commitment to the island’s heritage. But she argued that Holetown’s story, which includes the presence of Amerindian communities before English settlement, deserves better recognition and protection.“We have spoken a lot about heritage, we are actively building out at Newton Burial Ground, we have done some works at Golden Square so that people can better understand the story of what has happened there. Right now there is a single obelisk standing in commemoration of the landing; I think we can do more to tell the story of the site,” she explained. “Not just of English settlement, but the story of an Amerindian community who were here before all of us.“I understand that there is tremendous economic value for any beachfront in Holetown, but can we save some of it for us? Even if we don’t keep the police station there, my personal view is that this should always be public accessible land. Ideally I would see a green space.”