Island Plan consultation extended

The Minister for Planning and Environment, Deputy Rob Duhamel, is to extend the time available to Islanders to comment on proposed amendments to the Island Plan by States Members.

 

He has rescheduled the planned States debate on proposed changes to the Island Plan, from 1 July to 14 July 2014, to make time for the extra consultation, which will now close on 3 June 2014.

 

“I’m conscious that these proposals, if adopted, affect people’s homes and businesses and I consider it only right that they be exposed to scrutiny for a reasonable period of time,” said Deputy Duhamel.

 

The Minister’s own changes to the Plan aim to boost the amount of affordable housing being built to meet demand. Other recommendations in the revised plan are to further control development in the Coastal National Park and the Green Zone to protect the Island’s coast and countryside.

 

The current draft Plan (P.37/2014) is the result of a long consultation and public examination, with more than 250 people and organisations making approximately 700 comments on the proposals. These were all considered by independent planning inspectors at a public examination in January 2014 and were taken into account when the Planning Minister drafted the Plan that is before the States for debate.

 

States Members have now lodged their own amendments to the Plan. There are 11 of these in total, four of which raise new issues that have not been through the same process of assessment, consultation and independent review as the Minister’s own changes. Deputy Rob Duhamel has, therefore, extended the consultation period and arranged for a mini examination in public, led by independent planning inspectors to be held on 7 July 2014, so that these new amendments proposed by States Members can be commented on and scrutinised by the public and independent planning inspectors.