Planning Committee Report 2025 (R.30/2026): Response of the Minister for the Environment

STATES OF JERSEY

PLANNING COMMITTEE REPORT 2025 (R.30/2026): RESPONSE OF THE MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Presented to the States on 3rd March 2026 by the Minister for the Environment

STATES GREFFE

2026  R.30 Res.

REPORT

Introduction

1. Article 9A of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 requires that:

"  (6)  The Planning Committee shall, within the period of 3 months following the end of a year, report to the States–

(c)  the  Committee's  assessment  of  planning  policy  and  any recommendations it has for its revision.

(7)  Where,  under  paragraph  (6)(c),  the  Planning  Committee  makes recommendations about planning policy, the Minister shall present to the States his or her response to the recommendations."

2. This report is presented to the States for the purposes of complying with the Minister's obligation under Article 9A(7).
3. The Minister makes the following response in relation to the matters raised by the Planning Committee:

Eastern Cycle Network

4. The  Committee  decided  to  make  recommendations  to  the  Minister  for  the Environment in connection with the potential for flexibility in the application of requests for financial contributions to the Eastern Cycle Network (ECN) to take account  of  circumstances  where  there  was  no  obvious  link  to  the  form  of development being proposed, in accordance with Article 9A of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002.

Minister's response

5. The principle that development proposals must contribute to the Eastern cycle route network is established by Bridging Island Plan Policy TT2 – Active Travel. This policy requires contributions from residential developments of five or more homes and from employment related developments of 200 sq.m. or more, where they are located within 1.5 km (approximately a five-minute cycle) of any planned section of the network. This spatial definition is based on the proposed route network prepared by Infrastructure & Environment (Transport and Operations) and forms the basis of the area identified on the proposals map and illustrated in Figure TT3 of the Bridging Island Plan.
6. The Committee's comment arose during the determination of a planning application for  the  development  of  a  dry  storage  warehouse  and  associated  office accommodation (P/2025/0033) at Rue des Près trading estate. The scheme comprised 90 sq.m. of office and administrative space and 1,658 sq.m. of warehouse floorspace, providing employment for up to ten people. The Committee minute appears to indicate that the financial contribution required to comply with Island Plan policy was considered, by some members, to be excessive in relation to the proposed use.
7. The contribution rate is set out in the Minister's supplementary planning guidance Planning obligation agreements (July 2017). For non-residential floorspace, the standard rate is £1,800 per sq.m., subject to indexation based on the retail price index.

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8. Given that the development falls within a five-minute cycle distance of a proposed route, and that it would generate new employment requiring travel to the site, the requirement  for  a  contribution  towards  the  Eastern  cycle  route  network  is considered reasonable. It is also noted that flexibility already exists in determining the final level of contribution, as planning obligations must be negotiated and agreed between  the  applicant  and  the  planning  authority.  In  this  case,  the  planning obligation agreement was finalised on 25 July.
9. The Minister, however, notes the comments made by the Committee and will consider them as part of any future review of the existing supplementary planning guidance and the island plan:

GD2 – Community participation in large scale development proposals

10. The  Committee  decided  to  make  recommendations  to  the  Minister  for  the Environment  in  connection  with  Policy  GD2  of  the  Bridging  Island  Plan. Specifically, the Committee was concerned as to whether the wording of the policy may be reviewed to require direct communication with neighbouring residents when community engagement is undertaken by applicants on relevant proposals,  in accordance with Article 9A of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002.

Minister's response

11. Policy  GD2  is  intended  to  ensure  that  local  communities  have  a  meaningful opportunity to influence large scale development proposals before they are formally submitted. It requires developers proposing schemes of ten or more homes, or more than 400 square metres of floorspace, to undertake community engagement in advance of a planning application. A community participation statement must then be provided, setting out who was consulted, how and when engagement took place, the issues discussed and how feedback has informed the evolving proposal.
12. Proposal 8 of the bridging Island Plan commits the Minister to publishing practice guidance to support the effective implementation of this policy and to set out best practice for undertaking community consultation. Whilst Jersey-specific guidance remains to be developed there are established external good-practice resources - such as the Good Practice Guide to Public Engagement in Development Schemes – which provide useful reference points. These guides are not prescriptive about the methods that must be used; instead, they offer a range of engagement techniques that can be selected and adapted to suit the site, the scale of the development and the needs of the local community.
13. As part of developing new practice guidance for Jersey, the Minister will consider whether  there  should  be  a  requirement  for  developers  to  undertake  direct communication with neighbouring residents, ensuring that those most directly affected by proposals are appropriately informed and engaged at an early stage.
14. Together, these measures are intended to promote early, constructive dialogue between developers and communities, leading to more transparent, responsive and well-considered development proposals.

R.30/2026 Res.

Car parking supplementary planning guidance

15. The Committee noted Proposition P.54/2025 (Supplementary Planning Guidance: Parking), which had been adopted, as amended, by the States Assembly on 22 October 2025. The Committee notes consistent concerns that are raised in respect of car parking provision in new development and encourages the completion of a review of existing guidance at the earliest opportunity.

Minister's response

16. The Minister updated parking standards that were over 30 years old, following consultation and engagement, in 2023, to move away from the car-centric approach of the 1980s and to promote more sustainable travel. This aligned with the strategic direction set out and approved by the States Assembly in the Sustainable Transport Policy, the Carbon Neutral Roadmap and the Island Plan.
17. The recent decision of the States Assembly taken in relation to P.54/2025, however, suggests that a significant majority of States Members favour increased parking provision, despite the Assembly's overarching policy direction and the associated economic and environmental consequences.
18. In response to wider concerns about the current residential parking standards, the Minister has decided to embark on a more fundamental review of this planning guidance than that envisaged by the proposition. It will be reviewed to specifically clarify the meaning of "where practicable" and also to consider the adequacy of the standards generally throughout the island.
19. This process will take time and will need to involve consultation with developers, applicants and decision-makers. States Members will also be invited to engage more actively throughout the review.
20. To provide certainty for the development industry, the has Minister confirmed that no immediate changes will be made to the existing residential parking guidance. The current guidance will remain in effect for the remainder of this term of government. Whilst this will be matter for the Minister for the Environment in the new administration, it is envisaged that no change will be made to the existing guidance until at least September 2026.