Vale deputies criticised for inaction on planning review
Fri 24 May 2019
Le Maresquet: another green field marked for development in the Vale
Vale's deputies have been criticised by the Senior Constable for not being seen to support attempts to reform the island's planning laws.
This follows publication of a requete, or petition, to the States urging members to modify the existing planning laws to enable politicians have more control over what gets built on.
Constable Richard Leale said it was very disappointing that only one of the Vale's parish deputies had signed the motion calling for more protection of open land.
Big issue
"This is a very big issue in the parish," he said. "The Vale deputies know how strongly the Douzaine and parishioners feel about the North being used as a dumping ground for the planners to make up their housing quotas," he said.
"This requete at least provides an opportunity to get some oversight into a planning process dominated by civil servants and bureaucratic process and so it is troubling to say the least that – with the notable exception of Matt Fallaize – the Vale deputies aren't signed up supporters of it."
Deputy Jennifer Merrett is leading the petition and said that interpreting planning policies was an art and not a science, which is why she was seeking to give greater powers to politicians to make decisions on planning applications.
Save fields
"We support her in that and the efforts to save green fields from development," said Mr Leale, "and so we can't understand why the other Vale deputies aren't there as signatories to the requete."
The Vale's Mary Lowe, Sarah Hansmann Rouxel, Laurie Queripel, Jeremy Smithies and Neil Inder have not signed the requete, although Deputy Fallaize has.
Mr Leale acknowledged that they might speak in support of it in the States debate but that was very different from being seen at outset to back a real parish issue.
"The Douzaine already has concerns about the possible loss of direct States representation and the end of parish deputies when we have island-wide voting next year," he said. "This has done nothing to allay those fears."