FEATURE
PLANNING GOOD DESIGN Since the introduction of the 2016 Island Development Plan (IDP), there has been a clear policy which states the requirements around design and landscaping. It gives the planners a framework on which to pin their conditions – and Jim believes that GP8’s demands are reasonable for those looking for permission to develop in the island. “The requirements are proportional to what people are trying to achieve, and what will benefit the island. We’re certainly not trying to impose unreasonable demands relative to the scale of the application. For example, a householder development is unlikely to require any specific landscaping, unless there is something like a screening requirement. However, a major commercial development would certainly have conditions attached.
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Guernsey Property and Construction
Recent years have seen an earlier focus during the planning process on the landscaping of developments. Jim Rowles, the director of planning at the States of Guernsey, spoke to us about what the requirements are and how the Development & Planning Authority (D&PA) works with developers to enforce them.
“The GP8 design policy encompasses sensible requirements about having a good standard of design, and considering the development’s impact on the neighbourhood, and the landscaping is an important part of that.” With that requirement in place, the D&PA is looking for developers to consider the landscaping of their projects early on in the process. “Ideally we would have the landscaping scheme submitted with the application,” said Jim. “Often with the schemes we are looking at there is already a development framework in place which will outline some of the requirements. The planning application therefore ought to include more detailed proposals about how the design aims will be achieved through the
landscaping of the site so everyone is aware what is being proposed. “We are looking for a fair amount of detail. We’re interested in exactly what will be planted, and we’re ideally looking for native planting. That’s why it’s really helpful if the developer engages with a landscape specialist at an early stage. If they’re involved from the start then it feeds naturally through the process and is much easier for everyone. Our conditions will include things such as planting densities and types and sizes of plants, as well as what will work for screening immediately versus more long-term solutions. It’s a specialist area, so the landscape designers and contractors are best placed to help.”
