Party all day, all night - PNP plans to create 24-hour entertainment zones

Opposition spokesperson on cultural and creative industries, Dr Deborah Hickling Gordon, says the People's National Party's (PNP) promise to implement a 24-hour entertainment zone is geared towards building communities.

Hickling Gordon said this initiative, which was initially "fleshed out" by then entertainment state minister Damion Crawford, is a plan the PNP hopes to take forward, about a decade later, with a fresh approach.

"There were four different types of entertainment zones [from A to D]. Two (A and B) were for community-type events with a democratic system where people could give suggestions and object if they have particular issues. The C zones were commercial areas that were only used at nights for the development of a night economy in places like downtown Kingston [while] the D zones are what they are now developing which are the party zones where people can party all day, all night," Hickling Gordon told THE STAR.

She noted that Crawford and his team tested the zones through professional training of sound engineers and other skilled people from the communities, going into houses in and around these areas to test the sounds' decibels and contracted experts to test if the zones were suitable. She stated that three of these areas which passed the tests and had been earmarked to become entertainment zones were the Old Coal Wharf and Fort Rocky in Port Royal, Kingston, and JamWorld in Portmore, St Catherine. Hickling Gordon said Crawford's idea was to have these D zones as an islandwide structure.

At last Sunday's PNP 86th annual conference, Opposition Leader Mark Golding re-emphasised these plans, championing the need for entertainment zones in "suitable areas to streamline the process of entertainment events". Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, in delivering the Throne Speech at the opening of Parliament in February, shared that the

Government intended to make JamWorld the first 24-hour entertainment zone during the current legislative year.

"So they [the Government] have built on our vision and should their ideas be sound, then that's what development is about - building on the things that work. This is not for a party, it's about creating circumstances that work for people within the entertainment sector who have been crying out for years, for the kind of attention that will bring equitable growth in that sector," said Hickling Gordon. She stressed, however, that the PNP made a commitment to go beyond announcing, but, to actually implement plans.

"In terms of our outlook, making them [entertainment zones] community-driven and efficient are what is important, making sure the procurement and investment issues are transparent, and it suits the communities, and there is input from the community about what they want to see for their own recreation and the challenges [they face]. Ensuring that it's more wide-reaching is also a part of our approach while keeping it local where other local businesses can thrive," she added.

She noted that the issue of getting permits is one major challenge arising from consultations with promoters during the PNP's research into getting these zones in place. She said the party promised to create "more efficient systems where individuals can come to a one-stop-shop". Mitigating the challenges that exist due to the Noise Abatement Act, is another major task which Hickling Gordon stated that these zones will aim to address.

The proposed entertainment zones are expected to be established structures, outside of the residential areas, with adequate parking which would be made conducive for activities with "state of the art facilities for entertainment, recreation and [the] education needs for the communities".