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Staff shortage & outdated mapping rock TCP- 2013 Report

The Town and Country Planning Department, a government agency under the Office of Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith has complained bitterly about its experiences in 2013 via its report. Above is Gregory W. Adams, the Chief Planner of the Town and Country Planning Department. Photo: Facebook
The 2013 Town and Country Planning Department Report revealed details of staff shortages and the use of outdated mapping. Photo: VINO
The 2013 Town and Country Planning Department Report revealed details of staff shortages and the use of outdated mapping. Photo: VINO
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- The Town and Country Planning Department, a government agency under the Office of Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith has complained bitterly about its experiences in 2013 via its report.

The Report was laid on the Table of the House of Assembly at its Monday July 6, 2015 Sitting.

The Department is responsible for all physical developments in the Virgin Islands, which include applications for constructing new buildings, adding extensions to existing structures, change of use of development, or erecting public signs for advertisement must be first approved by the Department.

Its Act also covers all government Developments.

Short staff

On page 5 of the report, it spoke to staffing shortage as a major challenge through the year. “The department functions for most of the year without a Deputy Chief Planner and an Accounts Officer.”  It stated also that the Geographical Information System (GIS) Division has been operating without its full complement of staff since the departure of the Information Officer.

Outdated mapping

In addition, the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department complained in its 2013 Report about the outdated mapping information and described it as a “major handicap”. The aerial images used as a baseline for the GIS mapping are over a decade old, according to the report.

This has resulted in making it a challenge for the Department in developing planning studies based on this archaic information. The Department called on Government to address this problem immediately, if the TCP and other department are expected to make meaningful decisions that impact the sustainable development of the Territory.

The TCP described the staff shortage situation as “deplorable” and wrote that both the staff shortage and outdated mapping challenges are urgent and that “immediate attention is required for such unbearable conditions.”

It is unclear whether the conditions still exists in 2014 to current. 

10 Responses to “Staff shortage & outdated mapping rock TCP- 2013 Report”

  • ccc (09/07/2015, 08:27) Like (17) Dislike (4) Reply
    Shame on the ndp after 18 million in consultant
  • just saying.. (09/07/2015, 11:45) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    All this dept good for is giving stop notice
    • pat (09/07/2015, 14:29) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      it is the only tool they have for urban planning and even that is overridden with special waiver by a minister. Their friends are benefiting as witnessed by two buildings in Road Town.
  • Music (09/07/2015, 14:41) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    If they hadnt treated Ron Beard so badly he would have stayed and had the dept running properly.
  • the builder (09/07/2015, 18:18) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    This department main functions are to find ways to make construction possible, with professional advice (its an industry,) they are finding ways to kill it. While their friends get free passes.
    • the builder (09/07/2015, 23:38) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      lawd ah mussy llok where you gone
    • scant (10/07/2015, 08:20) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      No system is perfect, and you'll get similar complaints of planming departments the world ovet, but do you even know the real mission and objective of the department or are you just talking what you think should be the case? Do you know how it functions institutionally in the decision making process? Do you even know how many applications are submitted compared to how many are approved.. go into the department and read the report or at least ask some qurstions before you decide to talk...the reason people are finding it hard to develop is certainly NOT because of planning permission, that's for sure. You can't use an individual case here and there to make a general assumption of the entire situation.
  • shaw (10/07/2015, 10:17) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    The department itself is frustrated because of short staff. They need more inspectors to watch sites, to take inventory, to look at conditions of engineering, planning, environmental impact etc. By the time they get around to responding to a call on illegal building, another site is 3/4 built. This department is not respected as the most important entity in government. It helps shape how we see the BVI. It has some trained people who are ignored, some good designers who are ignored in favour of fast quick generic designs. One person did a fabulous tourist village design some years ago which should have been considered. Also, why was Mr Adams moved out of Port Authority if he is a planner. Seems to me he is better qualified to oversee pier park than the current director.
  • currupt (10/07/2015, 13:02) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    why they even bother with this dept is strange as they dont bother to enforce the rules for everyone equally. In vg there is a tall,tall building going up about 6ft from the road with no parking analso nowhere for sewerto go.


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