Don’t delay, have your say… on the Updated Island Development Plan (by 31 March 2025)

For those of us keenly interested in planning law matters affecting our Island community, it is important to be aware of the newly released Island Development Plan (‘IDP’) Focused Review, and the accompanying Guidance Note (from Planning Inspector Keith Holland), both of which can be found here: 

https://www.gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=186303&p=0

https://www.gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=186321&p=0

Originally adopted in November 2016, for a ten year period (to replace the Urban Area Plan and the Rural Area Plan), the IDP unified planning strategy to deal with matters such as housing, infrastructure, Local Centres and so on.

For the IDP Policies to keep pace with changing society needs, they must be regularly reviewed, and we are currently concluding one such review cycle.

The requirement for review is set out in the Land Planning and Development (Guernsey) Law, 2005, and there is ancillary, secondary legislative support through the Land Planning and Development (Plans) Ordinance, 2007 and the Land Planning and Development (Plans Inquiry) Regulations, 2008.  The review process is marshalled by Mr Keith Holland, mentioned above.

As the IDP affects us all, it is subject to public scrutiny, and members of the public are able to have their say through formal public consultation, known as ‘Initial Representations’.

Topics for comments include:

• Housing land supply;
• Employment land supply – offices, industry and storage & distribution;
• L’Aumone Local Centre;
• Vazon Local Centre; and
• Areas of Biodiversity Importance; and – Other Changes (to reflect the above changes or for clarification)

As there is a specific deadline for comments, namely 31 March 2025, procrastination should not feature, and the approved representation form can be found here:

http://www.gov.gg/IDPReview

We are informed that the Development and Planning Authority intended to provide responses to representations in advance of the Guernsey General Election in June 2025, and we will be providing regular updates as usual.

For any planning law matters, please contact Advocates Alastair Hargreaves, Robin Gist and Peter Ferbrache who will be delighted to assist.