Planning Committee Report 2024

STATES OF JERSEY

PLANNING COMMITTEE REPORT 2024

Presented to the States on 22nd April 2025 by the Minister for the Environment

STATES GREFFE

2025  R.52

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REPORT

1. Article 9A of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 requires that:

"(6) The Planning Committee shall, within the period of 3 months following the end of a year, report to the States–

1. the number of decisions made by the Committee under this Law during that year
2. the number of appeals made during that year against decisions made by the Committee under this Law;
3. the Committee's assessment of planning policy and any recommendations it has for its revision.

(7)  Where,  under  paragraph  (6)(c),  the  Planning  Committee  makes  recommendations  about planning  policy,  the  Minister  shall  present  to  the  States  his  or  her  response  to  the recommendations."

2. This report is presented to the States for the purposes of complying with this provision.
3. Between 1st January 2024 and 31st December 2024, the Planning Committee determined:

• 71 planning applications (55 with officer recommendation to approve, 13 of which were then refused by Committee);

• 62 applications for review following a decision under delegated authority (19 reviews were upheld in the applicant's favour);

4. Between 1st January 2024 and 31st December 2024, 21  appeals were submitted against the Committee's previous decisions. Of these 7 appeals were dismissed, 9 were allowed, and 5 appeal decisions are still pending.
5. Committee Members have made the following comments to the Minister:

22nd February 2024

Storage facilities  

The Committee decided to make recommendations to the Minister for the Environment in connection with the provision of storage facilities, in accordance with Article 9A of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002.

The Committee comments that the use of shipping containers for permanent storage solutions on sites in the Green Zone should not be permitted or supported.

The Committee raised the following additional matters arising from items considered throughout the year:

• In the determination of planning applications for new affordable housing schemes, parking requirements being too low.

R.52/2025

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• There is a need for clarity on the requirement for, and content of, business plans submitted with planning applications. In particular it was noted that a number of applications that would have benefitted from the support of a business plan did not include one.

• A clearer requirement for the percentage for art is suggested to have a greater focus on ensuring that this delivers schemes that are both public, on site, and permanent.

• In the consideration of applications for solar farms, the need for better evidence to justify that land is no longer needed or appropriate for agriculture. Noting in particular that there does not appear to be any readily available information of soil quality across the Island. Consideration may also be given to the need for PCN (Potato Cyst Nematode) testing to be included as part of soil testing.

R.52/2025