An Environment seminar held at the Duke of Richmond Hotel yesterday saw its minister, Peter Sirett, far left, explain the challenges his department would face with the introduction of the new planning law. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0601166)
THE island’s new planning law should come into effect at the start of January, according to Environment minister Peter Sirett.
He was addressing members of the Chamber of Commerce at a breakfast seminar yesterday on how the introduction of the law was progressing and the challenges the department was likely to face.
‘We are trying to turn Environment into a can-do department,’ said Deputy Sirett. ‘We have got to put the resources in place that allow the planners to do their job and to do their job with as little interference from the political members as possible.
‘They are the planning experts, so we should allow them to get on with that job.’ Deputy Sirett said the department had recently struggled to attract such officers to the island and there was also the blow of losing two in the past to Jersey.
However, he said the situation was now improving and the turnaround time on decisions had been brought down.
‘We feel we are getting on top of the situation now. We have got a couple of people on loan from a contract service and the time the planners are taking on applications has come down.
‘The broad average on a monthly basis is 10 weeks, whereas at one stage it was 12.
‘And for the average man in the street who wants an extension to his house, it is even lower than that. It’s just those larger and more contentious issues which take longer and bring the average up.’
Joining Deputy Sirett at the seminar was chief officer Steve Smith, director of planning control services Jim Rowles and director of policy planning Faith Rose.
Deputy Sirett was confident the new law would improve everybody’s confidence in the planning process, especially in terms of the amount of developments exempt from requiring permission, which would free up officers’ time for more complicated issues.
The appeals procedure for applications could also be slightly altered before Deputy Sirett expects to see the new law introduced.
Consultant Chris Shepley’s independent review of Guernsey’s planning service suggested a single adjudicator considering appeals would be just as efficient as a tribunal of three, which is the current favoured option of the States.
Deputy Sirett, who has welcomed many of the Shepley recommendations, said offering people the choice between having their appeals heard by just one adjudicator instead of three was being looked into, as it would offer some advantages, including cost and resources.
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