REPORT
Amendment (1) – Planning and Environment Department
Many
might ask, why is this amendment necessary and what benefit can be derived from
it?
The
present success criteria mention the use of planning policy and planning gains
to secure improvements to the public realm. The wording is quite ambiguous
although it is clearly designed to deliver additional public benefit. The
question left unanswered is what might the words “improvements in public realm”
describe?
For
many Islanders the provision of main drains in rural areas would most
definitely fall into this category. It is totally unsatisfactory in this day
and age that access to an essential service like mains drains is not available
to householders, especially where relatively large groups of dwelling exist in
rural areas.
In
recent times much emphasis has been placed on planning gains and obligations to
provide much-needed facilities in areas of development, including the provision
of community facilities, road improvements, and even an albeit voluntary
contribution to art.
Percentage
for art is a recognised funding mechanism where developers are encouraged to
allocate a percentage of the capital costs of any new building(s),
refurbishment or landscaping scheme towards the provision for art. Members
should note that a specific success criterion is included under
Objective 5 to encourage the delivery of public art. This ultimately
raises the question, if planning gains and obligations can be used to obtain
money from a developer and include actions which encourage the delivery of
public art, then why cannot the same apply to mains drains extensions?
New
developments, in areas where mains drains are present, benefit from being able
to access the drainage network for little cost, so why not seek some form of
contribution from the developer of property that falls into this category to
help fund the provision of drains in areas where they currently do not exist?
On
occasions, proposed new developments outside of the mains drains network are at
times requested by the department to help provide mains drains in the immediate
vicinity, so one could argue that a form of precedent has already been set. Why
not extend this to all new developments?
Any
hope householders had regarding the provision of mains drains to their area
disappeared when funding for mains drains extensions was stopped a number of
years ago. It is time that real effort is made by all concerned to address this
matter with the view to finding an acceptable and sustainable way forward. To
do nothing is unacceptable.
Amendment (2) – Transport and Technical Services
It
is disappointing that the Liquid Waste strategy is still to be considered by
the States, as I and many others had thought that, following last year’s
Business Plan debate, the strategy was nearing completion and would be
considered this year.
As
a result of the delay, the issue of mains drains extensions is still to be
resolved. Indeed in this year’s Business Plan under Objective 2, the
success criterion relevant to this issue reads – Approval of the Liquid Waste strategy approved and implementation plan
prepared.
This
statement seems to indicate that for many, the provision of mains drains
extensions to their particular area is still a long way off. There is however,
a sign of hope, when one reads the second success criterion where the aim is to
identify a long-term sustainable funding route for liquid waste to ensure
proper support for the provision of the service. My concern is that in
practice, one could interpret this statement in a number of different ways as
it is a very general in nature.
This
amendment is designed to support the department in their efforts to address the
issue but also encourage the Transport and Technical Services and Planning and
Environment Departments to work together to find an appropriate and acceptable
solution.
Presently
all available public funds are being used to improve and maintain the existing
sewage system, in built-up areas where mains drains are already available. For
those without access to the sewage network this in itself could be viewed as
inequitable.
I
appreciate budgets at present do not seem to allow for extensions to the sewage
system, however this surely is not an insurmountable problem. Efforts must be
made to address this issue and dialogue needs to take place with all interested
parties, including developers and those households where the lack of mains
drains is a problem.
If
the Assembly approves this amendment it is my sincere hope that every effort
will be made to address this issue and find a solution which enables the mains
drains extension programme to be restarted.
Financial and manpower implications
There
are no direct financial or manpower implications arising from this proposition.
