New Physical Planning and Development Act Under Review

Contact: Rose Marie Harris

Monday, November 26, 2001 - Saint Lucia’s Physical Planning and Development Act is now under review in an effort to operationalise the act.  Speaking at a meeting where the major players in the Planning and Construction sectors met to review the act, Minister for Planning, Development, Environment and Housing Honourable Dr. Walter Francois explained that a major shortcoming of the old act is that it made no provision for a comprehensive physical planning framework.

According to the Minister the new Physical Planning and Development Act does that and makes requires the establishment of an advisory committee and branch offices which will assist the ministry with planning issues at the local level.

“The rationale for the advisory committee is to give local communities a greater input in the planning and development of their communities and generally on issues that affect them directly.   The establishment of branch offices is part of government’s policy of decentralizing the planning and development function and the decision making process as it relates to physical planning,” Francois said.

The minister added that notwithstanding the Planning Department’s policy of advertising applications for change of landuse there is the belief that communities should have a more direct influence on what is being planned and developed in their communities. The new act, he noted, would also embrace community dialogue in the developmental process. 

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