(Seychelles News Agency) - The Beau Vallon Promenade project in the north of Mahe, Seychelles' main island, will begin on Thursday, February 22, with the felling of several trees in the area, in the first phase, to make space for the planned development.

The development spearheaded by the government and financed by the construction company Laxmanbhai will give a facelift to the popular tourist area and several kiosks will be built to replace the food vans that had taken up residence there.

The chief executive of the Enterprise Seychelles Agency (ESA), Lisa Lautoy, told reporters that "the developer will have to section off the area where they will be working for the safety of the public. We also want to advise the public that there will also be some loud noises at times due to the construction. This is beyond our control. We've already informed the tourism establishments in the area as well."

The project was due to start in September 2023 but was delayed due to certain factors.

"We faced quite a number of issues with the food vans that were already in the area. They were refusing to move. It took some negotiating but finally, we were able to get them to move further away from the construction site. There was also some delay on the administrative side; there was some documentation that we were finalising," said Lautoy.

For the car park near the Beau Vallon Promenade, Lautoy confirmed that during the construction part of the development, the public will not have access to it.

The public will not have access to the car park. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

"We will provide alternative access for people intending to buy food from the vendors who moved further away at the back of the property. However, once the project is completed, no food vans will be allowed on the site," she added.

Lautoy said that the expression of interest launched was for the first phase for food and beverage and "this is completed and the successful bidders have already been notified, soon we will meet up with them to discuss the lease agreement. The second phase will start during the first week of March; this is for the artisanal and excursion kiosks."

She also addressed certain concerns about the Takamaka trees in the area as these are protected species in Seychelles. Eight Takamaka trees will be affected in the removal. 

"Yes, there are several that will have to be removed. However, we made sure to seek approval for this by the relevant authorities. This will only be in the area where the buildings will be built the other areas will not be touched," said Lautoy.

The chief operations officer at the Seychelles Infrastructure Authority (SIA), Keith Arnephy said, "The project has two main components, the first one is the removal of the trees that are in the way of the construction. There are around 30 trees earmarked for removal. The second component is the actual development, this will be a controlled area that will only be accessed by the developer. So, we are asking the public to take precautions when coming near this area."

Lautoy said that it would take around two weeks to complete the tree removal, and as soon as this is done, the contractor will move on to the site for the project.

The whole project is expected to be completed during the third quarter of this year.