(MENAFN- Caribbean News Now) GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (CNS) – Development in the Cayman Islands shows no signs of slowing and becoming in any way sustainable after the Central Planning Authority (CPA) approved over half a billion dollars worth of projects in the first six months of this year. Despite the premier's claims that the National Conservation Law is stifling development, the CPA green-lit an unprecedented 380 projects over the first two quarters of 2019; another 659 planning permits, valued at more than $205 million, were also issued over the same period.
While some of this total represents small projects or family homes, a significant amount of the applications appearing before the CPA are much larger developments, including condos, apartments, mixed-use projects, hotels, and other major commercial endeavours.
Although the government constantly talks about the need for more sustainable development, the amount of work in the planning pipeline, especially on the oceanfront, does not appear to be in the least bit sustainable. Moreover, the revelation that the CPA has given 'approval' to more than CI$523 million worth of projects comes at a time when officials from the planning department are promising improvements to the systems that will make it even easier and quicker for developers to submit applications to the CPA.
Speaking at a 'Business After Hours' information session hosted by the planning department, its director, Haroon Pandohie, said efforts were being made to speed up the time-frame for applications and streamline the process, from applying for planning permissions to the permit process, via its online systems.
"Every service offered by the department is available on the planning portal," he said. "Our objective is to enhance the efficiency and quality of our service while reducing the amount of paper involved in the planning process and instances in which applicants have to resubmit the information."
The online planning system currently allows clients to apply for permits online, and to track permit-related plan reviews and inspections. Key status updates are also automatically sent to customers via email. Other features include the ability to apply for various permit types online, to upload electronic plans and drawings, the tracking of plan reviews, requesting and tracking of inspection requests and tracking of plan reviews.
In the face of these efficiency efforts and a surge of development, the premier is chairing a review panel with the intent of watering down the already limited protections for our natural environment in the National Conservation Law (NCL). On numerous public occasions, the premier has implied that the conservation legislation is undermining future development.
Yet so far, a tiny percentage of planning applications that have been reviewed by the National Conservation Council (NCC) has resulted in the need for an environmental impact assessment. At the last count it was just six and most were road projects, where the NCC and Department of Environment (DoE) had raised concerns that the proposals, mostly for farm or connector roads in North Side, which would threaten unique and important pristine habitat, were arbitrary and had not been supported by any justification. One was also for the road to support the Ironwood golf course project, which has still not broken ground.
The application by one of Dart's network of companies to remove beach rock from Seven Mile Beach, north of the Kimpton, where the developer is contemplating another hotel resort, remains the only commercial project where an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was recommended. In most cases, the DoE is trying to work directly with developers to avoid the need for EIAs by helping them to mitigate any damage their developments may pose to the environment at the early stages.
Republished with permission of Cayman News Service
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