Bridging Island Plan 2022-24

​The Minister for the Environment is charged, in law, to bring forward a plan that 'provides for the orderly, comprehensive and sustainable development of the land which best meets the needs of the community'. The current Island Plan was designed and developed in 2009 and 2010 to cover the period 2011-2021 and several amendments to it were made in 2014. Early stages of the Island Plan Review to help shape the next Island Plan 2022-2032 commenced in early 2019, with an emphasis on a spatial strategy and sustainability in the island environment, the economy and the community.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the operations of government, leading not only to the delay in the Island Plan development but also a re-evaluation of the necessary elements which should be included in that Plan. The Minister for the Environment has therefore proposed that the next Island Plan should serve as a shorter-term 'bridging' plan (2022-2024) between the current Island Plan and a future Island Plan (2025-2034).

If approved, a shorter 3-year plan would 'decouple' itself from longer-term policies which are yet to be determined, such as a migration and population. The Minister's rationale is that this would enable progress to be made to address key community planning challenges, within this term of government, in areas where there is still relative certainty (short-term housing needs, urban improvements, sustainable development). Where there is less certainty about the medium to long-term future, such as the economy and population, the Minister proposes targeted short-term interim policy, until the future Island Plan (2025-2034).  More information on the timeline and content of the new Island Plan can be found on gov.je.

 The Panel's review will investigate what this will mean for Islanders, exploring any potential benefits and/or unintended consequences an interim shorter plan might have.  The full Terms of Reference for the review are included below.

The Panel presented its report on 5th February 2021.

​1.     To explore and understand the aims of a shortened 'bridging' Island Plan and the ways in which it will interlink with the current and future (2025) Island Plans.

2.     To determine and assess the decision-making process and rationale in formulating a shortened 'bridging' Island Plan spanning 3 years (2022-2024), including but not limited to:

• Scoping requirements, research and evaluating alternative options to creating a 'bridging' Island Plan
• review of evidence base and strategic issues
• appraisal and reporting process 

3.     To assess the means of consultation with States members, targeted stakeholders, the public and interest groups, including the decision to run the public consultation process in parallel with consultation with States members and interest groups;

4.     To examine and gather views on the revised (shortened 'bridging') Island Plan development process;

5.     To identify and assess the prioritisation process by which projects and policies will be included in, or excluded from, consideration in the development of the revised Island Plan, for example:

• Affordable Housing
• Future Hospital development
• Migration and Population policy;
• Land Use  

6.     To determine the short and longer-term implications, including financial implications, of developing a 'bridging' Island Plan.