Thursday 29 March 2012
Environment Department response to media enquiry from Guernsey Press.
Enquiry:
I am currently doing a story about warehouses in Guernsey. It has come to my attention that both of your departments have been involved in discussions with estate agents about simplifying use classes of warehouses to make the uses more flexible.
I am interested to get a comment from each department about why the change is needed, what stage the change is at and what needs to be done before a change is made. Also, is there a timescale?
I also understand there are a very high number of uses in Guernsey. Can I find out how many use classes there are and find out why there are so many?
Response:
The Environment Department's response published in the Scrutiny Committee's February 2012 monitoring report following up the actions taken against the recommendations contained in its 2011 report 'Guernsey's Planning Service: Post-Shepley Review', confirmed the progress made in the review of the Use Classes Ordinance.
The intention of the review is to develop proposals for presentation to the States to further simplify the Use Classes Ordinance as recommended by Chris Shepley. This work is continuing.
The review will consider the storage/distribution use classes along with all others within the Ordinance and forms part of a wider review of the planning legislation. It is intended to report to the States in November 2012.
The Commerce and Employment Department said it would welcome the simplification that it expects the revised Ordinance will provide. A spokesman said:
'It is essential that government does all it can reasonably to make it easier to do business in Guernsey. We are very pleased that the Environment Department is consulting with Commerce and Employment during the revision process and we look forward to seeing the proposals expected later this year'.
Further information on the review will be issued in due course.
Contact Information:
Jim Rowles, Director of Planning Control Services
Environment Department
Tel: 01481 717 200
