St Helena : St Helena DRAFT PLANNING POLICIES
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 06.05.2011 (Article Archived on 20.05.2011)
The Board would like the views of the public on the draft policies before they are formally adopted. The purpose of the policies is to give clarity and consistency in planning decisions and to give guidance to anyone proposing development.
DRAFT PLANNING POLICIES ON SITING OF CONTAINERS, SITING OF POLYTUNNELS AND THE COLOUR OF ROOFING MATERIALS
The Land Planning and Development Control Board have introduced new draft planning policies on:
• the siting of containers
• the siting of polytunnels
• the colour of roofing materials
The Board would like the views of the public on the draft policies before they are formally adopted. The purpose of the policies is to give clarity and consistency in planning decisions and to give guidance to anyone proposing development.
The thrust of the policy on containers is that they make useful, inexpensive and available storage sheds but if uncontrolled they can be an eyesore. The policy therefore sets out criteria where they may be sited and how and when they need to be adapted, roofed and painted to make them acceptable.
The thrust of the policy on polytunnels, which also covers green houses and shade houses, is that they offer the very real potential to move the island’s agricultural production forward and there should be a presumption in favour of granting permission for them; but if sited indiscriminately they can be intrusive in the landscape, spoil the amenity of people’s homes and if they are extensive they can create practical problems of, amongst other things, water run-off. The policy also sets out criteria for when a small polytunnel does and does not require development permission and it makes clear that derelict polytunnels must be removed.
The policy on colour of roofing materials discusses the importance of controlling colours in order to achieve coherent development and to blend buildings into their setting; roofs are prominent features on the island because of the steep slopes and the fact that buildings are often seen from above. The existing Land Development Control Plan suggests that colours should be controlled in particular to avoid bright greens and electric blue. These have not been followed. The policy therefore proposes that buildings surrounded by red roofs should be red or grey, those roofs of buildings in the open country or where there is no consistency around them should be dark grey and extensions roofs should generally be the same colour as the existing building.
The full text of all three policies can be obtained from the Planning Section, Essex House. Comments are required to be submitted to the Planning and Housing Secretary at secretary@legalandlands.gov.sh by 12 noon on Monday 23 May 2011.
David Taylor
Head of Planning and Development Control
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