Friday 30 May 2014
Environment Department response to media enquiry
Media Enquiry from Guernsey Press:
In regard to our conversation about the petition to convert Green Acres hotel in a specialist dementia care home, can the department please answer the following:
- Would any number of signatures force the department to reconsider the planning verdict?
- Does the department consider the matter closed?
- Is the department willing to reconsider the decision?
- Has the department ever reconsidered a decision based on strength of public feeling?
- Has the department had contact with those in charge of the petition?
This is planned in for tomorrow's paper, so if you can please respond by 3.30pm today, I would be grateful.
Environment Department Response:
The Environment Department is only able to determine any planning application in accordance with the legislation and policies that have been approved by the States. We will, of course, always consider a revised application and we welcome applications that address and satisfy the policy requirements. It is open to the applicants to submit a new or revised application and in that respect the matter is not closed. At the moment there is no current planning application for Greenacres and there is, therefore, nothing that the Department can consider at the present time.
The Department's decisions must be based on the legislation and policy. Public opinion can and does inform and shape policy and that is happening as part of the Strategic Land Planning process and the current review of the Detailed Development Plans. Such amendments to Policy are not made by the Department in isolation but result from an independent planning inquiry which is considered by the States. We are then required by law to apply those States approved policies in determining applications.
If a further planning application is made, following the recent appeal decision which upheld the Department's earlier refusal of planning permission on planning policy grounds, then this will of course be considered by the Environment Department in accordance with its normal procedures.
The organisers of the petition have not been in contact with the Department.
Contact Information:
Jim Rowles, Director of Planning
Environment Department
Tel: 717200
