The work of the development application panel

Charlie Malet de Carteret

And what experience that is! The Panel currently consists of seven members, each with a general passion for the need to preserve the Island’s natural beauty and heritage but also with specific areas of interest and expertise including agricultural, historical, architectural and public realm issues. Our debates on the merits (or otherwise) of the various applications range widely and, whilst we do not always agree, our process leads to a consensus view which we then articulate by way of objection letters which are sent to the Planning Department for publication on their website. We always send these letters to the CEO for comment, and if necessary to Council for its review if the matter is particularly contentious. We are conscious that our comments can sometimes be controversial – we have increasingly seen our comments being reported in the Island’s mainstream media – but we do not shy away from controversy and remain convinced that it is important for the Trust’s voice to be heard as an independent and informed champion for the natural environment and for listed buildings.

In addition to our routine application reviews we have undertaken work to comment on behalf of the Trust on Government planning policies. We spent considerable time reviewing the draft Bridging Island Plan and monitoring the subsequent process leading to its approval by the States in March 2022. We have given comments on other planning-specific matters, such as proposed new Supplementary Planning Guidance on housing densities and restrictions on larger developments outside the built-up area. We commented on the last Government’s failure to produce a robust Common Population Policy, believing that it was important for the Trust to do so because of the profound implications that such policy has on the requirement for housing and related infrastructure, which underpinned the assumptions and ambitious targets in the Bridging Island Plan.

We have also engaged directly with the Planning Department and the Environment Minister to set out our views on specific issues affecting the planning system. We applaud the Minister’s recent decision to conduct an independent enquiry into planning services and we look forward to contributing our comments to this.

We hope that the Panel’s work leads to planning decisions which help protect and preserve the most important things – our rural character, our beautiful coastline and our heritage buildings – that make this Island so special. If any of our readers would be interested in learning more about our work, or would like to join the Panel, please do not hesitate to contact me at CharlieMDC@nationaltrust.je