States Strategic Plan 2009 – 2014 (P.52/2009): sixth amendment.

STATES OF JERSEY

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STATES STRATEGIC PLAN 2009 – 2014 (P.52/2009): SIXTH AMENDMENT

Lodged au Greffe on 19th May 2009 by the Connétable of St. Helier

STATES GREFFE

2009   Price code: B  P.52 Amd.(6)

STATES STRATEGIC PLAN 2009 – 2014 (P.52/2009): SIXTH AMENDMENT

1  PAGE 2 –

After the words "attached as Appendix 1" insert the words –

", except that in the list of Priorities on page 8 –

1. in  Priority 2,  before  the  word  "sustainable"  insert  the  word "environmentally";
2. in Priority 3, for the words "reduce costs" substitute the words "improve efficiency";
3. in  Priority 15,  after  the  word  "Protect"  insert  the  words  "and enhance";
4. after Priority 15 insert a new Priority as follows –

16.  Support the development of arts and heritage in Jersey

and make consequential changes to the wording of the Priorities where they appear in other parts of the Plan."

2  PAGE 2 –

After the words "attached as Appendix 1" insert the words –

", except that in Priority 2 on pages 12–13, in the section entitled "What we will do", after the first bullet point, insert an additional bullet point as follows –

• Show the world that economic and environmental success can work together".

3  PAGE 2 –

After the words "attached as Appendix 1" insert the words –

", except that in Priority 7 on page 19, in the section entitled "What we will do", after the last bullet point, insert an additional bullet point as follows –

• Support  the  recruitment,  development  and  training  of  the Island's Honorary Police".

4  PAGE 2 –

After the words "attached as Appendix 1" insert the words –

", except that in Priority 12 on page 26, in the section entitled "What we will do", after the last bullet point, insert an additional bullet point as follows –

• Continue to encourage and support Islanders in the pursuit of sporting excellence".

5  PAGE 2 –

After the words "attached as Appendix 1" insert the words –

", except that in Priority 13 on pages 27–28, in the section entitled "What we will do", after the last bullet point, insert additional bullet points as follows –

• In 2009 debate and implement  an Air Quality Strategy for Jersey,  including  proposals  for  monitoring  and  publishing levels of local air pollution, and targets, policies and timescales for reductions in air pollution levels that reflect best practice globally.

• In 2009 debate and implement an Sustainable Transport Policy for Jersey, including targets, policies and timescales that reflect best  practice  globally,  and  proposals  for  monitoring  and publishing them.

• Implement  the  5  Environmental  Priorities  in  the  Executive Summary of "The State of Jersey – a report on the condition of Jersey's environment (January 2005).

• Adopt the overall goal of the Biodiversity Strategy for Jersey and pursue the objectives for conserving biodiversity.

• Provide an annual Report to the States by the Director of the Environment."

6  PAGE 2 –

After the words "attached as Appendix 1" insert the words –

", except that after Priority 15 on pages 30–31 insert a new Priority 16 as follows –

16  Support the development of arts and heritage in Jersey

What we will do:

• Implement, monitor and review the Cultural Strategy

• Continue to support the work of the Jersey Heritage Trust and other bodies involved in promoting the Island's heritage

Key indicators

To be developed and published by ESC".

CONNÉTABLE OF ST. HELIER

REPORT

The first Strategic Plan received nearly 20 amendments; by the time it was debated and many of backbenchers' ideas added, it was an impressive document. The fact that much  of  it  is  as  relevant  today  as  it  was  3 years  ago  is  an  indication  of  how challenging and comprehensive the first Plan was. Unfortunately, the second Strategic Plan has generated little comment, perhaps because States Members feel, as I do, that they don't know where to start in terms of amending it. Whole sections appear to have been left out; gone is the Vision', the Commitments'. There is a robust focus on the economy and the particular measures that are required in the current economic climate to  manage  and  support  it,  and  the  addition  of  a  specific  priority  to  support  the vulnerable in our community is to be welcomed, but what has happened to sport, heritage and the arts? Do these not merit a place in our Strategic Plan for Jersey?

Meanwhile,  environmental  aims  lack  prominence  and  definition,  and  so  my amendments on this subject substantially recycle those I lodged in June 2006. Given the lack of progress made towards realising these environmental strategies during the past 3 years – indeed, in some aspects1 a deterioration in our position as a jurisdiction that values its environment – I was tempted not to take the trouble of lodging any amendments to the Plan. However, the Island's environment is too important, and Islanders too concerned about the threats to it, for us to allow the second Strategic Plan  to  divorce  the  need  for  economic  growth  from  the  need  for  environmental sustainability.

I do not intend to repeat the contents of my various amendments to P.40/2006 in this report, but refer those who are interested to my tenth amendment to P.40/2006, in particular. The purpose of this report is not to seek to justify why the Honorary Police system is important to the Island, nor why we should include sport as an important part of our strategic planning. The Arts will probably thrive whether the significance they play in our lives is acknowledged by the States or not, but the Cultural Strategy was thought important enough to merit inclusion in the last Plan, and members may wish to remind themselves of its aims. Heritage must also be a part of the Plan, given its growing importance to our Tourism industry, as well as its role in the lives of young Islanders in particular.

Financial and manpower implications

In 2006 I was advised by the Director of the Environment that many of the items put forward in my tenth amendment to P.40/2006 were –

already implicitly included within the draft strategic plan, and their delivery will be bound up in the various individual plans, strategies and proposed laws as they are progressed.

Most notably are the plans, strategies and laws already encompassed within the Strategic plan that will tackle –

1 e.g., the rezoning for housing of perfectly good agricultural land and sensitive greenfield sites while numerous potential housing sites in the urban areas remain undeveloped; the approval of the construction of an incinerator adjacent to the Island's Ramsar site; the failure of the Council of Ministers to give sufficient priority to bringing forward a sustainable transport policy

Energy (and greenhouse gases) Transport

Air quality

Solid waste

Contaminated land

Rural Economy

Draft water resources Law Island plan revision Bio-diversity strategy

SSP  4.3 SSP  2.9 SSP  4.4, 2.9 SSP  4.6 SSP  4.4 SSP  4.1 SSP  4.4 SSP  4.7 SSP  4.5

In some cases such as the energy policy it is impossible to accurately predict resource impacts in advance of creating and then debating the policy, however the plan assumes that their implementation would be fiscally neutral – funded through associated environmental tax measures (see 4.6.3, 2.9.2) which form part of the Fiscal strategy, which is an existing priority '

There  are  areas  where  additional  resources  would  be  required  to  fully implement the measures put forward (by the Connétable ). In all cases these requests have been subject to previous FSR conferences and have not secured funding. Best estimates are tabulated below'.

I would argue, as I did 3 years ago, that these extra posts can be achieved by a proportionate reduction in administrative posts in the Departments of Planning and Environment, Education, Sport and Culture and Health and Social Services so that that the human resources implications are, therefore, neutral.