Fast-track move to help builders

Wednesday 28th January 2009, 2:56PM GMT.

THE Planning department has introduced a fast-track scheme in a bid to stop more jobs being lost in the construction industry.

In a statement released today Planning say they are aware of the difficult economic climate facing builders, developers and architects and have announced that any application that can start within three months of a potential consent will be fast-tracked.

This month building firm Mercury Construction (1996) Ltd stopped trading, with 22 job losses, and building merchant Pentagon made ten staff redundant. The Planning department is to employ a senior planning officer on a short-term contract to work on current applications of ‘economic importance’.

Environment Minister Freddie Cohen (pictured) said: ‘We want to make sure that the Planning department does all it can to make sure construction jobs are not lost. We have seen construction companies going under and a noticeable increase in the number of schemes approved but not started. We want to concentrate our efforts to ensure that our limited resources are applied to those schemes that are likely to commence quickly to support local people.’

1
Mistershifter

January 28, 2009 at 3:11 pm

About time another States Dept got its act together. With my few and brief encounters, I have always been left shaking my head and wondering what planet they inhabit. Speeding up the mind boggingly slow application system surely can’t be rocket science.

Can it really take 18 months to process an application to change the name above a shop, using the same font and colour? It did to a friend of mind. Amazing.

Report abuse
2
Mark’s perspective

January 28, 2009 at 3:19 pm

Not everything can be blamed on the ‘credit crutch’, some businesses are just poor at managing their cash flow, such firms will fail at eventually, the ‘credit crunch’ only hastens the inevitable.

Full credit to Environment Minister Freddie Cohen for streamlining the planning process, however this begs the question why should we have an had a less than perfect planning process in the good old days; maybe, just maybe, the Planning Department needs to sharpen up its act in anticipation of better times ahead.

Report abuse
3
My Opinion

January 28, 2009 at 4:41 pm

Ok but only if the work is going to be carried out by local contractors. My fear is that some of the building works will then be carried out by Non Jersey contractors! Who will monitor this.

Report abuse
4
Nellie Macon

January 28, 2009 at 4:47 pm

And will there be an additional charge for “fast-tracking” these applications?

And how about making it a rule that local building companies have to be asked to quote for every new building job before UK companies get a look in? Also that UK companies have to offer any new vacancies to locally qualified people as part of getting plans passed.

Planning could have been doing a lot to help local people for years – well, here’s your chance Freddie – let’s see if you actually achieve anything.

Report abuse
5
P Lee

January 29, 2009 at 9:35 am

So they want the building firms to go on building even though the properties are not selling?

Are the banks going to provide the lending for these developments, bearing in mind they are not lending money for people to buy the end product.

Report abuse