planning that works
for people by DEPUTY ROB DUHAMEL I
n 2015 it will be fifty years since Jersey first introduced a planning law. Fifty years of red tape and bureaucracy, some would say, fifty years of untrammelled development, suggest others. But as the Minister for Planning and Environment, trying to negotiate a middle path between these opposing voices, it's helpful sometimes to reflect on the impact of the law over time.
Planning steers a course that takes in demand for more social and first time buyer housing and modern office space, with a respect for the historic environment and open space that we all enjoy, and which evidence suggests pulls the skilled staff and
entrepreneurs we want to attract.
There have been some notable successes. Prior to the introduction of the Planning Law, Les Mielles was a rubbish dump, full of toxic animal waste and old cars. It’s now enjoyed by thousands annually in what has been designated our Coastal National Park.
We also have a much more coherent approach to planning in St Helier. The revised Island Plan, due for debate next year, and the ongoing publication of our detailed guidance on the various parts of town will, I firmly believe, play a fundamental role in the urban regeneration of our capital. Through the development of policies to encourage people to live closer to where they work, we can reduce the need to travel and help build social capital in our urban
communities. This will in turn, I hope, switch off the professional exodus to the countryside and make living and working in town a much more enticing proposition.
There are additional benefits too. A recent study* suggested that people who put up with more than a 45-minute commute are 40% more likely to divorce - casting the
Page 42
20/20 Habitat - The Home
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116