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2.16 Deputy J.H. Young of the Minister for Planning and Environment regarding the production of a Masterplan to guide the future development of the Eastern Gateway Area of St. Helier :
As the Minister now has a planning application pending for the proposed new Police Headquarters at Green Street, does this prevent the Minister from producing a masterplan to guide the future development of the Eastern Gateway Area of St. Helier as required by the Island Plan and if not, will he inform the Assembly whether he intends to do so before he determines the application?
Deputy R.C. Duhamel (The Minister for Planning and Environment):
It is important to appreciate that the Island Plan provides an approved planning policy framework against which planning applications can be considered. The Island Plan is the primary consideration for decision-makers. There is therefore no statutory requirement to produce masterplans before applications are determined. The absence of the masterplan for an area does not preclude the determination of a planning application and likewise the submission of a planning application does not prevent me from developing masterplans at some time in the future. However, it might well be deemed to be unreasonable by a current application if a masterplan were produced in the middle of that process. There are reviews underway by the Scrutiny Panels in response to Deputy Martin's call for reconsideration of the Eastern Gateway Area and indeed the application for the Police Headquarters at Green Street and, as an outcome of that process, there might well be a call for the Minister for Planning and Environment, myself, to issue or produce a masterplan for the area as well as a review for other sites.
- Deputy J.H. Young:
The Minister has advised us that there is no need for him to do so but he might do if the Scrutiny Panels ask it of him. If this is not done, would he confirm that his consideration of the planning application will include the wider impact of parking in town generally and the impact on traffic in addition to the effects on the surrounding residential area?
Deputy R.C. Duhamel:
Parking and traffic will be material considerations for the police application and will necessarily be considered as part of that application.
- Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier:
I wonder if the Minister could outline to us the conditions where he says a masterplan is necessary when he receives a planning application. When does he say a masterplan is necessary? Could he outline the criteria when he says that?
Deputy R.C. Duhamel:
Certainly. The Island Plan contains a proposal not a policy at the moment that the development of masterplans, which sit within and below the policy framework provided by the Island Plan, might well be helpful to encourage development and to shape change in some areas of town. Although there is no requirement for me to do this, I do think that if it is helpful to guide development of particular areas, then I can bring forward supplementary planning guidance to lend weight to a masterplan.
- Deputy J.A. Martin of St. Helier :
Yes, it is quite hard to determine whether the Minister for Planning and Environment is going to do a masterplan or not because he seems to be relying on Scrutiny. Scrutiny terms of reference, although it was my proposition that was referred back to them, has one terms of reference to basically look at whether the Police Station is good use now and for the future but does not mention traffic and what Deputy Young is asking. So it is quite disappointing that this does look like it is going to be half-baked and I do ask in my proposition that the Minister for Planning and Environment does this, so I would like him to be a bit more upbeat and say that he will look at the issues. I request the Minister to reconsider his answer to the Deputy and be a bit more positive. Could he agree with me, please?
Deputy R.C. Duhamel:
Certainly, I am happy to accede to any requests that are made by Deputy Martin. [Members: Oh!]
- Deputy J.H. Young:
The Minister has very much in his answers sat on the fence and I am hoping that he will come off the fence, despite the invitation from Deputy Martin. He has confirmed that these aspects need reviewing: parking and traffic in town. Would he please tell us whether he thinks that these aspects are better looked at by the Scrutiny Panel or better looked at by his department before this application is decided?
Deputy R.C. Duhamel:
I think, of course, they are best looked at by the Planning Department and through our departmental officers with the assistance of the Scrutiny Panel. [Laughter]