Planning department adapts to COVID-19

The Planning Committee will meet for the first time since March.

The Planning Committee will meet for the first time since March. The meeting, which begins at 9.30am tomorrow (Thursday 7 May), will be accessible to the public online via Microsoft Teams.

Tomorrow’s virtual Planning Committee meeting will discuss six applications. It is part of a range of changes introduced by the Planning Department following the introduction of social distancing and travel measures in response to COVID-19:

• 7 staff from the Planning and Building Control Teams have been redeployed elsewhere in Government to support the COVID-19 response. However, other staff are working from home and are still available by email at planning@gov.je or their own email addresses
• In line with social distancing requirements, site visits will only go ahead if they are essential, and only with appropriate risk assessments in place
• Two public planning inquiries (Field 525 in St. John and Broadlands in St. Peter) have been postponed until independent planning inspectors can travel to Jersey from the UK
• Planning appeals can still be lodged and will follow the usual process until the point of appointing an inspector. At this point, the process will be on hold until independent planning inspectors can travel from the UK to Jersey.

For full details on the planning appeals process, visit: https://www.gov.je/PlanningBuilding/AppealsComplaints/Pages/AppealPlanningBuildingDecision.aspx

Chair of the Planning Committee, Deputy Russell Labey, said: “The States of Jersey was the first Parliament in the commonwealth - and very possibly the world - to convene “virtually” via Microsoft Teams.

“Now the Planning Committee is pioneering virtual planning meetings so that, where possible, we can deliver decisions for applicants without them having to wait for the end of lockdown restrictions.”

Peter Le Gresley, Director of Development Control, said: “Staff across the department have gone above and beyond in supporting the Government’s response to COVID-19. From redeploying to different areas of Growth, Housing and Environment, to working hard to provide a robust planning and building service – my thanks go to them all.

“I hope that Islanders will understand the constraints that we are under and will remain patient until we can return to our published service levels.”

The Planning Committee meeting with take place on 7 May 2020 at 9.30am. To watch the meeting online, visit: https://t.co/eEmDUjdAt5?amp=1.