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Party plans 'radical' planning changes
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The PDP recently announced its general policy on planning in Gibraltar in which one of the areas highlighted for change is the Development and Planning Commission and local Building and Planning Controls and Regulations.
The reforms which the PDP proposes, are both progressive and radical for Gibraltar and aimed at eliminating or at the very least minimising bias or the appearance of bias.
At the core of PDP policy on planning reform would be to incorporate the maximum amount of independence into the composition of the DPC as possible in a small place like Gibraltar. This could be achieved by a series of measures such as appointing an independent Chairman; incorporating a voting member or members of the elected Opposition; ensuring the independence of participating NGOs sitting on this commission by ensuring that their representative would be obliged to declare any conflict of interest. These, and further measures as required the PDP believe, would give the DPC the autonomy to conduct its business free from political pressure.
WHY CONFIDENTIAL?
The PDP also believe the current manner in which the DPC meetings are kept confidential only serve to fuel the public perception that the Commission at times is put under pressure to rubber stamp projects without the proper checks and balances and public participation enjoyed in other democratic countries.
To redress this situation, the PDP would when elected to Government legislate to make all DPC meetings public and publish all minutes of these meetings. Furthermore the PDP would commit itself to make all In House Government projects be bound by the Town Planning Ordinance in order to eliminate the current situation where they do not fall under this process.
Objectors would have a right to be heard by the DPC where an applicant is given such an opportunity thereby safeguarding a fair hearing and in certain circumstances of public and historical interest legal aid would be available to allow judicial challenges to controversial applications. This would avoid cases such as the Rosia Tanks fiasco where perfectly lawful legal challenges by both the Heritage Trust and the South District Association were frustrated by the threat of prohibitive legal costs.
The PDP is aware that there might be a perception that these reforms might equate with increased delays in Planning Permissions being granted and therefore would take steps to introduce measures that would counterbalance this. These would include setting time limits for responses to applications, the streamlining of non-controversial applications and fast tracking of non-controversial small applications. The Appeals process would also need to be reviewed and enhanced as necessary.
BUILDING
"Building Regulations need bringing into this century as Gibraltar the PDP feels is lagging twenty years behind in this field. Significant modernisation is required to bring Gibraltar in line and the PDP would initiate a review and revision of this. Two main areas that the PDP would highlight in this area are regulations on Disabled Access in the Built Environment and the reduction of CO2 emissions in both our construction industry and our new buildings," says Gigi Sene.
The final area the PDP would tackle is Health and Safety where regulations would also need to be updated and revised at the same time as reviewing manning levels in this department.
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