INTERVIEW
VICTORIA OLIVER As the Bailiwick looks to ‘build back better’ and restore an economy depleted by the pandemic, it’s clear that in order to facilitate the recovery government has some tough choices ahead and bold decisions will need to be made. At the end of January, the Planning and Development Authority (D&PA) appeared to take that message and run with it, announcing a raft of proposals aimed at speeding up the process for planning applications - reducing it by half in some cases - cutting red tape, exempting more types of projects from the planning applications list and doing something to tackle the number of unsightly abandoned buildings that have lain derelict for years. Deputy Victoria Oliver, president of the Planning and Development Authority, told us more about her ambitious plans.
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Guernsey Property and Construction
It’s no secret that attaining planning permission in the Bailiwick can be perceived as something of a rigmarole. That’s something Deputy Oliver is keen to change. “I want to make D&PA a facilitator,” she says. Deputy Oliver’s keen to bring her considerable experience to creating an environment where homeowners can get on and make the improvements they want and where commercial projects aren’t tied up for weeks or months waiting for approval. She hopes it will create a smoother process
