New procedures to streamline and strengthen the planning process and make it more transparent have been approved by Tynwald.
Last month Tynwald approved the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013, made by the Department of Infrastructure under the Town and Country Planning Act 1999, which came into effect on 1st August 2013.
Minister for Infrastructure David Cretney explained: ‘The new Order provides greater clarity on the procedures to be followed and the interpretation of functions of the Department and others in Government when handling Planning Applications and Appeals.'
‘Importantly, the provisions will help us deliver one of the objectives under Agenda for Change to “make sure town and country planning supports economic development”. Furthermore, the provisions of the Order will assist in formalising the roles of the Department and the Chief Secretary’s Office in respect to Planning Appeals, so as to provide transparency to that process beyond Government.’
Mr Cretney said: ‘This has been a root and branch assessment of an important piece of secondary legislation for planning and, coupled with the ongoing review of the primary legislation, will place the Planning Division in a strong position to meet the expectations and challenges posed by the customer and the marketplace in the foreseeable future.’
Laurence Skelly, Departmental Member responsible for Planning added: ‘We expect the new provisions to have an immediate and positive impact upon the daily procedural operation of the planning process. For example, we have now introduced amended requirements to ensure that the familiar coloured A4 planning application notices must now be displayed on the application land in a place which is clearly visible from the public highway, improving transparency and awareness’.
