BARBADIANS will soon get to see a model home being constructed by the Barbados Workers' Union (BWU).

And if the prototype gets the public's approval, another 24 three-bedroom, two-bathroom concrete homes, designed to withstand hurricane force winds will be built.

This was revealed by BWU general secretary Sir Roy Trotman during an interview with the Press following the opening ceremony of the BWU Errol Barrow Day Family Fun Day at the Labour College on Monday.

Sir Roy gave the assurance the price of the new units at $120 000, with the cost of land to be added, had been guaranteed by builders Beautiful Environmental Homes Limited.

"That is considerably cheaper than what another developer was trying to build," he said.

That project being done at Mangrove Meadows, St Philip, is still before the courts.

Initially, the housing project when outlined by the BWU in 2001 featured two-and three-bedroom units at $100 000. However, the contractor advertised the houses for as much as $400 000.

"Those [houses] were built beyond the cost agreed to by the union, and in a manner that is totally unacceptable.
"That caused us to reject the contract arrangement," Sir Roy said yesterday.

He added that if interested people wanted to move the houses off the land it was fine with the BWU, but stressed it was a matter that had to be discussed with attorneys on both sides.
(JR-B)