The long-running draft Physical Planning Bill in Anguilla is to be significantly updated and referred to public consultation with a view for debate in the House of Assembly by year-end.
That was decided by Executive Council at a meeting on August 29 according to the minutes published on September 6. The matter is part of an undertaking by Government called: “Building Effective Governance for Land Use and Environmental Management Project”.
The relevant extract of the meeting reads as follows:
EX MIN 19/300 of 5 July refers.
Council noted and accepted the following update:
(i) the Ministries and Departments of Physical Planning and Environment met with the CDB-funded consultants hired for the legal and public education and awareness components of the project and the local project led by Mr C. Samuel to determine the best way forward to ensure the timely completion of the outputs;
(ii) it was agreed that the draft Physical Planning bill would need significant revisions prior to commencing the public awareness component in order to deal with the concerns raised by the Ministry of Planning. The legal consultant has agreed to make these amendments in consultation with the Government of Anguilla, and will travel to Anguilla as soon as possible to assist with this aspect.
(iii) components of the Environmental Management Bill will also be revised since provisions of that bill are linked to the Physical Planning Bill;
(iv) specific instructions of the suggested changes to the draft Physical Planning Bill have already been shared with the legal consultant, and other concerns will be addressed as the revision proceeds;
(v) information required to assist with the sensitisation of the public will be provided by the Department of Physical Planning to the consultants for the start of that component when the details of the revised draft bill are closer to completion;
(vi) monies to develop the Regulations for the Physical Planning Bill will be devoted to the significant changes required within the Physical Planning Bill;
(vii) funding for the development of regulations will either come from monies left over from the CDB Project, if any, or the GoA would have to identify funding for this aspect independent of the project;
(viii) public consultation to begin in November 2019; and
(ix) the current timeline agreed with the consultant is to complete the bill with the view of having the first reading in the House of Assembly in December, 2019.
Council thanked the officials for the progress thus far and encouraged them to continue to do so.
Action: PS, HLPP; HON AG; PS, MICUHAFE; DIR, ENV; DLS; PPO
