Department Of Planning To Host Open House

On Thursday November 8, 2012 from 12pm to 4pm the Department of Planning will host an open house for members of the public in recognition of World Town Planning Day.

The open house affords the public the opportunity to tour the department, meet the staff and learn about the functions of the department.

“The purpose of this open house is to let people see the department, learn about what we do, speak to staff, as well as to create awareness of the department and its functions,” said the Director of Planning Trevor Leach.

“Attendees could potentially learn about the timeline and process of a planning application, about planning policies in Bermuda in general as well as things that are important to Bermudians which we have to consider when evaluating planning projects – such as the natural environment, the historic environment, the coastline and what we call the ‘Bermuda image’.

“Furthermore, the open house provides helpful insight into the various jobs which exist at the department for anyone who may be considering a career in the Planning field.”

There will be a short [10-15 minute] presentation about the department at 12noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm followed by tours of the department by department staff. Meanwhile, a slide show will run continuously throughout the afternoon.

There will also be various display panels dotted around the department explaining the applications process and depicting key projects the department is currently working on as well as the reasoning behind certain planning policies.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Minister of Environment, Planning and Infrastructure Strategy Marc Bean said: “I encourage members of the public to attend the Department of Planning’s open house so that they can learn more about the functions of the department and see firsthand the good work being done by the Department of Planning. And there is much good work for them to be proud of.

“In fact in April of this year a glowing performance appraisal of the Department was produced and subsequently released to the media. The report included data which clearly revealed improved processing times for various categories of Planning applications.”

It should be noted that the purpose of this open house is not for members of the public to enquire about specific applications. All Planning services will operate as normal that day.

World Town Planning Day is currently celebrated in some manner in about 30 countries on four continents. The international organization for World Town Planning Day was founded in 1949 by the late Professor Carlos Maria della Paolera of the University of Buenos Aires to advance public and professional interest in planning, both locally and overseas.

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