Planning decisions a ’cause for concern’

Saturday 1st May 2010, 2:56PM BST.

The scene at the site near Channel Television in June 2009, when residents, led by Deputy Jackie Hilton, protested about the proposal to build the houses in a nearby field

THE Royal Court has expressed its concern about disagreements between the Planning minister and his civil servant advisers.

Commissioner Sir Philip Bailhache said that there was ‘a worrying difference’ between the advice given by a planning officer to an applicant and how the minister approached the planning application.

Sir Philip spoke out during a two-day appeal hearing this week involving Alpine Contractors Ltd. The company is appealing against Environment Minister Freddie Cohen’s decision to refuse its application to build 54 houses on field 1248, near the Channel Television site.

A planning officer recommended the scheme for approval but the planning applications panel, comprising a group of politicians, refused it. Because their decision was contrary to the officer’s advice, the decision went to Senator Cohen, who also rejected the application.

On Wednesday Sir Philip, who was sitting with Jurats Morgan and Marett-Crosby, said that the advice from the planning officer seemed to be running against the policy decisions that the minister made and the policies set out in the Island Plan. ‘That observation is troubling the court at the moment,’ he said.

The appeal has yet to be determined.

1
Steve

May 1, 2010 at 3:34 pm

Advice given by a planning officer, hear we go a planning officer is a paid official, paid to advise not to make the decision that is down to the elected politician’s who in due consultation with the electorate as happened in this case decided it was not in the best interest to allow this to go forward.

Or is it as pointed out by the wrongly disposed Senator Stewart Syvret do the civil servants run this island I think so, the elected representative I think not it seems the tail is waging the dog hear not the other way around.

But then it’s the Jersey way ignore the wish of the electorate and look after the developers they paid for the advice so it must be right!!.

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2
Hedley

May 1, 2010 at 5:19 pm

Yet another case of the developer driveing the application untill they get their way. None of them care about what people have to live in or next to – just the profit and greed.
Freddie doesnt always get it right but as for the Royal Court criticizeing him as opposed to the whole system – come on get real.

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3
Mogit

May 1, 2010 at 8:20 pm

The sooner someone in this Island gets their head out from their toxic waste passage and stops the pathetic situation of Freddy being Planning AND Environment Minister the sooner we can salvage at least some of the bad decisions that have been passed!!!

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4
Andy

May 1, 2010 at 8:35 pm

Hedley seems to have it ar5e about face, it looks like the Royal Court were critical of the planning department for not following the policy decisions of the elected representatives. Not the other way round.

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5
Common Sense

May 3, 2010 at 7:11 pm

This is great stuff!! I love Jersey! we get the ministers we rightly deserve, we get the laws we rightly deserve and we get the “cock eyed” decisions we also rightly deserve. Fantastic!! Fortunately! I am not a local nor will this problem spill over from the 9 x 5 mile “bubble” that is Jersey. Look on the bright side residents!! ….we have the waterfront ha ha ha ha

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6
stufftheenvelope

May 3, 2010 at 7:22 pm

As if anything will happen about a bunch of farmers and glorified parish councillors worried about re-election approving anything but granite clad disney houses outside St Helier then moaning and making empty promises about making housing available to anyone, unless mates and family are involved.

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7
truthseeker

May 4, 2010 at 12:43 pm

Go home Freddy,just leave us alone..let’s get back to a committee system where one misguided biased or deluded person can not ride roughshod over what is right and fair….benchmarks like good taste ,subjective I know….in keeping with the environment..far more definable…and respecting what is already there….take a look at the desecration of Portelet,once,and not long ago a picturesque cove of great natural beauty…now a hideous Benidormesque horror..the designs are foul and trading estate like in nature..it disgusts me and renders the whole planning system impotent.

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8
Toastedteacakes

May 5, 2010 at 10:49 am

No. 7 Truthseeker – You’re right and take a look at the new incinerator under construction at Havre-des-Pas, built beside a promenade and bathing pool on the coastline.

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9
Sanity

May 5, 2010 at 2:52 pm

Reading the article the Planning Minister has refused to allow a developer to rape yet another green field, yet it would appear that likes of Mogit and Truthseeker are so caught up in their hatred of anything “Establishment” that they would let the developer build just to get “one up” on the planning minister.

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