Guernsey Press

Planning inquiry clear to continue

A LEGAL tangle that threatened to derail Guernsey's new overarching planning policies has forced the States to take urgent action.

Published

Both Environment and the Strategic Land Planning Group have sought legal advice over the potential impact on the draft Island Development Plan of the States' decision last month to reject the recommendation that the island's housing target remains at 300 homes a year.

The target is central to the IDP, which is in the midst of a planning inquiry and public hearings, throwing into doubt its progress and the legal implications of the vote by deputies.

Two Crown advocates, however, have issued advice that the States' decision should not significantly affect the inspectors' progress nor cast doubt over the whole IDP process.

Strategic Land Planning Group chairman Allister Langlois, in a letter to the planning inspectors, said if they were satisfied that sufficient 'robust and credible' evidence was available to justify existing planning-related policies, which are associated with the 300 homes target, the States' decision should not halt them.

However, if not, then the only solution would be to return to the States with an emergency Billet.

'I would, however, observe that if a further policy letter and a resolution of the States of Deliberation are necessary, there will inevitably be a delay to the review and ultimately the adoption of the Island Development Plan,' said Deputy Langlois.

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