Casimir asserts that some events organisers ignore the regulations in place for the use of sporting surfaces, incurring additional costs to the Ministry of Sports.

He says utilisers need to be more disciplined in their use of fields and stands for the venues’ preservation.

“My concern is the discipline of our people…I continue to share those concerns because we have a country where a lot of the time, we put everything in place and the individuals that are supposed to follow those guidelines do not,” he said.

Both himself and Tourism Minister, Ernest Hilaire, have placed their support behind a dedicated entertainment centre, which will only accommodate fetes, shows and other leisure activities.

The Management of the Saint Lucia National Trust has also issued a similar call, stating that mass crowd events pose a security and environmental risk for the Pigeon Island National Landmark.

An earmarked location for this proposed entertainment centre is the open space in the Cul De Sac region as the new roadway will allow for easier access for both northern and southern patrons.

“We need to identify that area. So after this season, by next season we can definitely have an alternative to have our entertainment and fun as a nation.”

The Sports Minister says the surface team at the ministry will be on the ground after this carnival season to prepare the Daren Sammy Cricket Grounds for the upcoming Caribbean Premier League.

“We are in a very, very tumultuous time as it pertains to weather patterns. We saw perhaps the rainiest December and January, and then we saw a very dry February, March, April. So I think we are looking at a timeline of October to have the competition around the island. We're certainly hoping that the Gros Islet Playing Field will be one of the venues ready by then.”

According to the Minister, sporting facilities across the island will be receiving a major facelift in the coming weeks.