About the Island Plan Review: Bridging Island Plan

In 2019 the Minister for the Environment launched the Island Plan Review Programme, with a view of developing a new 10-year Island Plan for the 2021 to 2030 period. However, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic meant that it was no longer possible to deliver an Island Plan as originally envisaged. To best respond, the Minister announced his intention to develop a shorter-term ‘bridging’ plan that will exist between two longer-term plans (the previous Island Plan covering the period 2011 to 2021; and a future Island Plan covering 2026 to 2035). 

The States Assembly adopted the Revised 2011 Island Plan in 2014. Much changed between the adoption of the Revised 2011 Island Plan and the development of the Bridging Island Plan, resulting in a need to evidence and respond to different economic, environmental and social challenges faced by the island. The review needed to consider how best to deal with:

the need for homes
safeguarding the environment
supporting the economy
mitigating the impacts of climate change
responding to our ageing population
securing good design and creating better places

The new Bridging Island Plan sets the means to facilitate the island’s positive future growth over a period of significant uncertainty and provide a new framework against which planning decisions will be made. The plan will be key to ensuring that we can deliver sustainable development that will meet the needs of the community, as we balance the economic, environmental and social needs of the island in a way that is best for Jersey and which reflects the vision and aspirations of islanders. Whilst the Bridging Island Plan will be in force for a shorter period of time than the usual 10-year Island Plan, it will nevertheless be equally as comprehensive in scope and applied in the same way, to further the purpose of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002.

The Bridging Island Plan was adopted by the States Assembly on 25 March 2022.

The review process

Reviewing the Island Plan was a big task involving several stages in order to develop a plan that was based on evidence and which had engaged and responded to the views of Islanders. Changes to how an Island Plan is normally developed were required in order to accommodate a shorter review programme, but these changes did dot dimmish the level of consultation and independent scrutiny that a plan would normally undergo.

The draft Bridging Island Plan, which included detailed draft polices, plans and proposals, was subject to extensive public consultation before being considered by independent planning inspectors at an Examination in Public. The inspectors submitted a report to the Minister for the Environment, who published and presented it to the States Assembly in January 2022.

Ahead of the ultimate debate, a total of 103 amendments to the plan were lodged by States Members, including a number from the Minister for the Environment, in response to the outcome of the consultation and independent inspection. The plan and these amendments were debated over a two-week period in March 2022. The Bridging Island Plan was adopted by the States Assembly on 25 March 2022.

Island Plan Review timeline

The table below outlines the programme for the Island Plan Review.

Island Plan 2022-2025: the process timeline

Stage	Actions	Date	Documents and publications
Stage 1: Scoping and research	Scope and develop the evidence base requirements Commission reports and studies Explore initial strategic issues and options Develop Sustainability Appraisal	Summer 2019	Issues and options paper published Consultation on issues and options
Stage 2: Develop draft Island Plan	Consider consultation responses to issues and options Undertake Sustainability Appraisal Review evidence base Evaluate options Member and stakeholder engagement Develop draft plan	Winter 2019	Call for sites
Stage 2: Develop draft Island Plan		Summer / Autumn 2020	Reports and studies published
Stage 3: Independent examination	Public consultation on draft Island Plan Draft Island Plan lodged for States Members’ amendments Inspectors’ review of draft Island Plan and associated evidence, States Members’ amendments and public consultation responses	Spring 2021	Draft Island Plan published and Lodged au Greffe Public Consultation on draft Island Plan Outcome of Call for Sites published
Stage 3: Independent examination		Summer / Late 2021	Independent examination in public Inspector's report published
Stage 4: States approval	Minister considers Inspectors' report and possible further amendments States debate and adopt Island Plan Island Plan 2022 to 2025 becomes new policy for planning decisions	Early 2022	Draft Island Plan published Adopted Island Plan published