"Time to put the public first"

Wednesday 19 August 2020

It's time to put public needs before commercial interests, St Sampson’s Constables and Douzeniers have said as concerns continue to mount about building projects in the north of the island.

It follows a meeting between Vale Constables and the Development & Planning Authority. Vale Douzeniers held the meeting to express concerns that the types of projects being approved by the D&PA did not align with the needs and interests of people living in the northern parishes.

Since that meeting, St Sampson’s parishioners have voiced their sympathies with the issues discussed. St Sampson's Deputy and Senior Constable Paul Le Pelley said that his parish is “on the same page” as their Vale colleagues.

“The Constables and Douzeniers of St Sampson’s share the concerns expressed by those in the Vale regarding development in the north of the island, especially regarding density and infrastructure issues,” he said. “We expect that there’s going to be statements made to try and smooth things over in the north, but there’s a lot of voters out there who want to see something of real substance and not just explanations.”

With an election on the horizon, Deputy Le Pelley expects that members of government will attempt to “defend what they have done, or what they haven’t done and why they haven’t done it.”

Pictured: Following a meeting with Vale Constables, D&PA have promised a 'holistic' approach to impact assessments for the north, but concerns remain about the types of projects being approved.

“What we’re trying to do is sift out the fact from the fiction, and make sure that what we’ve got is going to be relevant going forward for the best interests of people in the north of the island, rather than someone trying to defend policies of the committee that they’re on.”

Deputy Le Pelley said that he would like to see changes in attitudes towards planning permissions in the States, to draw focus towards public need and away from commercial interest.

“I want the next States’ Assembly to look at the mandate of the D&PA to make sure that it is fit for purpose, and doing what the people want it to do, not just interpreting the law,” he said, adding that he would like to see Planning do more than decide whether or not something fits legislation.

Pictured: Deputy Paul Le Pelley has called for D&PA to take into account 'what the people want' when giving out planning permissions, rather than just enacting policy.

“Planning really needs to say, ‘it may fit the policy, but is it what the people want? How is this going to impact them? It may be legal, but is it going to cause anguish for the people?’”

It seems that plans are in motion to take action following the election. A sub-committee has been established by the St Sampson’s Douzeniers to act as a ‘watchdog’ for the D&PA, working in tandem with Vale Douzeniers to make observations or statements about planning proposals in the area.

Click HERE to read more about the Vale Constables' meeting with Deputy Dawn Tindall regarding planning for the North.