A spokesperson from the Development & Planning Authority explained: ‘This is because it falls outside the approved scheme of delegation of decisions which are published on the gov.gg website.’
Having previously insisted that having the application heard at an open planning meeting would be little more than procrastination, the Little Chapel Foundation chairman John Silvester said he will of course do exactly as he is told.
‘If the DPA has decided the plans need to be explained and discussed at an open planning meeting, that is exactly what we shall do.’
He said the planning application was essentially a request to install disabled access, provide waiting areas and create a garden that will showcase the Little Chapel.
‘Planning applications are evolving things so an open planning meeting will give an opportunity for things to evolve even more.
‘Members of the Foundation are more than happy to explain the application and vision to people at an open meeting,’ he said.
Previously, islanders had raised concerns that the application would over-commercialise the site.
Former DPA president Deputy John Gollop had called on current president Deputy Dawn Tindall to request the application be heard at an open planning meeting.
He wanted to clarify that while he was not personally objecting to or being critical of the plans, he wanted to remind the DPA of their duty to put in motion the established policy of OPMs when they have aroused controversy and public interest.
The application was submitted at the start of November, with consultation listed as closing last month.
You need to be logged in to comment. If you had an account on our previous site, you can migrate your old account and comment profile to this site by visiting this page and entering the email address for your old account. We'll then send you an email with a link to follow to complete the process.