PlanCayman consultation goes on the road
(CNS): As the Cayman Islands Government continues its slow progress on the delayed national development plan, the ministry responsible has announced that it will be engaging directly with the public in June and July in a series of meetings, beginning in West Bay.
The current development plan, which is more than 25 years old and no longer fit for purpose, has led to a catalogue of inappropriate projects that have caused a number of issues, including a detrimental impact on the natural environment, infrastructure and beach access.
The current plan was developed in 1997 and should have been reviewed every five years, but it has never undergone a full overhaul. Only piecemeal changes have been made to the law in the intervening years, and those have been made almost exclusively to make it easier for developers to maximise profits.
The consultation for the revised plan, known as PlanCayman, has so far engaged only with developers. Although officials from the Ministry of Planning said in a statement that the draft Planning Statement’s primary objective is to “maintain and enhance the economy, society and environment of the Cayman Islands”, there are concerns that the CIG will not put in the necessary restrictions to control what many voters see as the runaway development on the islands.
“It is intended that the planning strategy for the Islands is flexible enough in concept and implication to accommodate individual requirements, special circumstances and changing conditions while also ensuring that all development seeks to balance and integrate social, environmental and economic considerations to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” the statement reads.
Environmental activists have already raised concerns about the flexibility and lack of limitations on future development in the proposed plan, as well as the lack of measures to implement a managed retreat of inappropriate developments. On numerous occasions over the years, the Central Planning Authority has used its discretion to allow development far too close to the water and to destroy mangroves during clearance, both of which have had a major impact on the natural environment.
Seven Mile Beach is suffering significant erosion due to hard structures such as seawalls, swimming pools, concrete patios, bars, restaurants and other amenities that have been built on the dynamic beach. The loss of coastal vegetation, especially mangroves, has compounded coastal erosion around the islands, and where there has been a significant loss of mangroves, such as West Bay, it appears to have contributed to the increasingly dire drought conditions in the district.
According to the Planning Statement, the CIG wants to “encourage better coordination and co-operation among all interested entities, be they private or public.” The consultation is intended to give residents an opportunity to influence the rules surrounding future development and ensure that the broader community’s desires are also acknowledged.
Officials are encouraging residents to participate in the discussion and submit insights and feedback to the planning department before 30 July. For more details on the consultation schedule and how to get involved visit the PlanCayman website.
See the planning statement in the CNS Library.
| In-Person Public Consultations Schedule: | |||
| DISTRICT | DATE | TIME | LOCATION |
| West Bay | 4 June | 7:00pm-9:00pm | Sir John A Cumber Primary School |
| George Town | 6 June | 7:00pm-9:00pm | George Town Constitution Hall |
| Savannah | 10 Jun | 7:00pm-9:00pm | Savannah United Church |
| Bodden Town | 13 June | 7:00pm-9:00pm | Bodden Town Church of God |
| North Side | 4 July | 7:00pm-9:00pm | Edna Moyle Primary School |
| Cayman Brac | 8 July | 7:00pm-9:00pm | Aston Rutty Centre |
| Little Cayman | 15 July | 7:00pm-9:00pm | Little Cayman Beach Resort |
| East End | 18 July | 7:00pm-9:00pm | William Allen McLaughlin Civic Centre |
| Virtual Public Consultation: via CIG Facebook live and CIG YouTube live | |||
| All Islands | 18 July | Noon-1:00pm | |
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Category: development, Local News
How small-town Alabama residents have fought 20-YEAR battle against developers to retain ‘simple country life’ amid annexation fears
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13426501/fort-morgan-alabama-residents-battle-developers.html
CNS can you feature this article? Can something like that be done in Grand Cayman?
Why, so they can ignore public sentiments again?? “Public” consultation processes in Cayman are a farce!
No worries though. I’m sure any reports or output resulting from this exercise will contain the catch-words our ‘leaders’ and their inept Civil Service lackeys recently learned – ‘paradigm shift’, ‘strategic’ and ‘sustainable’!
public consultation plan = kicking the can down the road.
there is no-one in cig or civil service with expertise or qualifications to tackle the scope of this issue.
civil service is filled with poorly educated people with zero ability to tackle these issues.
if we can’t be honest and face these facts we will never be closer to a solution.
I take it you got turned down for a Civil Service job?
Civil Service is the last place any ambitious Caymanian wants to work.
Doesn’t the CPA have any input?
Certainly they do, pass everything that a developer puts in front of them!
Can’t you read? It’s the CPA leading the process according to the Law.
Well then we don’t have anything to worry about do we?
No … they make the decision. 🙂
The public comments are essentially going via the Department of Planning to the CPA for the CPA to make the final recommendation to the Cabinet. If I understand the process correctly.
If we would just cause all laws and regulation to be enforced, we would be in a much better position. This is true for all aspects of living in the Cayman Islands. So many unenforced laws.
There is next to nothing that Cayman can do to impact global warming and climate change. However, there is plenty Cayman can do to take better care of the local environment. The fact that the Cayman Islands Government, at both the political and administrative level, actively encourages bad private sector developments and ill-considered public road projects says everything about the destruction we have seen over the past few decades. The degradation of the crown jewel of the tourist industry, West Bay Beach, is a sad reflection on those in charge.
Ha Ha Ha, what a bunch of comedians! Do you really think the developers who are racking in the big bucks and the government people who are under the influence could really care about erosion, over crowding, huge importation of cheap labor, or any of the other negatives that all this development is creating? It is way to late now so if you are smart you will hitch your wagon to the development train so you can benefit. All Caymanians should start a small construction business, then get up to 10 Jamaicans on work permits, send them out to find work and make them bring you a $100 per week plus they can pay all there own insurance & pension. At least you can make something out of the “boom in development”. Don’t worry because immigration doesn’t check up anyway.
Nothing will be done, just look at who is the elected minister in charge of labor – that should sum it up in a nutshell.
Your thought process is what is wrong with Cayman. You and others like you who want to get all they can get to the detriment of everyone else.
Well might as well join the winning team mate!
I hope people really pay attention to what this poster is suggesting and realize this is already going on at an alarming rate. you’re going to take out permits for people who more often are financially struggling, they even take out loans to cover the permit fees. You then bring these people in, have no work for them and tell them happy job hunting. these people are now in a place 10x more expensive than where their coming from, if their lucky to find work it’s never enough to cover basic necessities. what does that breed? CRIMINIALITY! how as Caymanians can we be so blinded by greed that we destroy the very lifestyle we love? then have the audacity to blame others.
Because they want MONEY to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous.
Whoa there. Someone needs to make benefit for the glory of Caymanistan by renting them bunk beds three to a room for $600 a month each.
The immigration enforcement is a complete joke as on the large construction projects you have people on domestic work permits, car wash permits, gardener/landscaper/farm worker permits and some without any permit all working every day. The new bunch of foreign construction companies coming to Cayman (with a Cayman partner) are just having a field day as none of the labor laws are being followed. Of course with the strong leadership of Honorable Seymour, what would anyone expect.
There needs to be a revised adult-worthy expectation that any tradesman conducting daytime work in late evening (save for emergency utilities work), and/or a prohibited activity in the absence of official planning approval, stands to breach of, and forfeit their T&BL with DCI, with UBOs to be added to a suspended relicensing application cool-off waitlist for at least a year. Business interruption ramifications like that would get all construction industry principals dealing squarely within 24 hours, or see you in a year. We need to remove the resolute bad actors that have been plying trades abusively for years without penalty, and those ritually dependent on after-the-fact political waiver/interference. Ticket the dangerously overloaded, racing, jake breaking dump trucks and illegal road tank wagon fuel refilling while we’re at it. The bar of acceptability needs to be raised, not lowered. There can’t be any impression that Cabinet or SAGC Boards grant special waivers without balancing transparency, expanding ACC oversight, and (re)imposing material consequences.
Never going to happen as the rot is to embedded into the society now. Best get your wigs like Jon-Jon man!
cayman…on a slow road to nowhere…zzzzzzzzz
ever wonder why the national symbol is a turtle???
I see where the plan’s priorities lie in its own words: “maintain and enhance the economy, society and environment of the Cayman Islands”
Economy listed first, environment last, as always.
The article says “so far has only engaged with developers”. There’s your sign as the comedian would say. The developers are lobbyist and supporters. This same group campaigned against over develop but from what I can see they have put in an express lane.
Now they want input as their term is nearing the end? Now they want input after so much construction projects were already approved?
Why doesn’t the Minister Jay Ebanks tell the people what he thinks should happen????
Seems like he is hiding behind another consultation process to delay until the next general election so that he doesn’t need to address it.
Or better yet his dad continues to need employment with his heavy equipment services especially for government projects.
Restore and enhance transparency requirements, SIPL disclosures (to include source of funds on crypto payments to all immediate household), anti-corruption watchdog powers, liability and culpability of Cabinet, MPs, and senior Civil Servants, and all the other governance apparatus that Juju and friends either replaced/weakened, canceled, or bypassed. Amend the Elections Law to prohibit eligibility of anyone with a criminal record. They shouldn’t be handling money, developing policy, granted immunity, or be entrusted with redacted waiver powers. The FCO, OECD, and FATF should take more interest in these meetings when gauging the political health of the Cayman Islands.
“The consultation for the revised plan, known as PlanCayman, has so far engaged only with developers”, says it all.