Guernsey’s government is to change the way the Island Development Plan and other planning rules are changed in future.
Essentially the States have agreed that the current system is too slow and takes up too much time and effort, even for small tweaks.
To fix this, the current States have decided to establish three different “pathways” to update the IDP, depending on how big and important the change is.
The next States will see those changes through after the election in June.
In essence, the three pathways are differentiated by the scale and impact of the proposed change to the IDP, the level of scrutiny and consultation required, and the speed at which the amendment can be processed.
For the more significant changes to the planning rules, there will now be an extra step with an independent expert in planning drafted in to look at the proposed changes before the politicians make their final decision.
How the pathways could impact you
If there’s a need for a small planning change in a specific area, it could now be addressed more quickly through the ‘Small and Unimportant Changes’ pathway.
For businesses looking to make minor expansions or changes that align with existing rules, this quicker process for small amendments could be beneficial.
The added step of independent review for bigger policy changes aim to give the public more confidence that any decisions are based on good planning principles and aren’t rushed, the Development and Planning Authority said.
For bigger projects that might require significant policy changes, the independent review should add a level of scrutiny that ensures these changes are well-justified. The overall process would likely involve a more detailed consultation and evidence gathering process than for minor amendments, followed by the independent inspector’s review.
The third and final pathway could be seen as the “emergency lane”, and is for “exceptional or strategically essential changes”, said the DPA.
This pathway is reserved for urgent or critical changes that are deemed strategically essential for Guernsey’s needs. The process for these would likely be tailored to the specific circumstances, and may even involve a different level or type of scrutiny and consultation, potentially expedited due to the urgency.