22 May 2012
New guidance seeks to clarify how the Minister will deal with any exceptions to Island Plan policy in relation to the park and the key tests he will use to assess development proposals.
The Coastal National Park, which was designated in the 2011 Island Plan, contains the Island’s most sensitive landscapes, including St Ouen’s Bay, the cliffs and headlands of the north and south-west coast and some of the north coast wooded valleys at Gréve de Lecq, Rozel and Mourier Valley.
The Island Plan seeks to prevent new development in these areas but it also recognises that the park already contains many buildings and different land uses, making it unreasonable to prohibit all future development proposals.
Planning and Environment Minister Deputy Rob Duhamel said “The protection of the Island’s coast and countryside is important to many Islanders and the Island Plan gives me the tools that I need to deal with development proposals in those areas.
“I want to make it as clear as possible how I intend and wish the Island Plan policies to be applied and the publication of this guidance is designed to achieve that. I hope people, including residents of the Coastal National Park, architects, agents, developers and heritage and environmental bodies, find it helpful and I would like to hear their views,” he said.
The sensitivity of many parts of the Coastal National Park means that the Minister is also proposing to remove some of the permitted development rights that landowners and residents of the Coastal National Park currently enjoy.
This would mean that some minor works which people may be able to undertake without planning permission would be brought within planning control. If this proposal is supported, further consultation will be undertaken on the specific changes proposed.
The consultation closes on 6 July 2012.
Coastal National Park public consultation (government and administration section)
gov.je