Minister On Streamlining Planning Processes
Minister of the Cabinet Office Vance Campbell provided an overview in the House of Assembly about the “continuing and new initiatives the Department of Planning are actively working on in its quest to streamline processes.”
The Minister said, “The Department intends to integrate streamlining measures to lend greater support to the construction industry by introducing a Competent Persons’ Scheme [CPS]. This scheme will be a game changer for Bermuda as “individuals and enterprises” [entities] will be able to self-certify that their work complies with the building regulations as an alternative to the building inspection process. This will allow the entity to commence and complete work without interruption, thus reducing time and costs. This initiative is being produced in tandem with the Department of Workforce Development.”
The Minister’s full statement follows below:
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to provide updates to this Honourable House about the continuing and new initiatives the Department of Planning are actively working on in its quest to streamline processes.
Mr. Speaker, this Government recognizes the crucial role that the Department of Planning plays in facilitating and supporting new investment and as such is desirous to improve procedures that will result in more efficient decision making and a better customer experience for the public.
Mr. Speaker, for any organisation to function efficiently it must be equipped with the necessary resources. In acknowledging the value of the Department, specifically the critical role that it plays in facilitating construction activity, this Government has recently approved a departmental restructure.
Mr. Speaker, the principal motivation for this restructure was to ensure structural accountability and redefine roles within the Department to ensure an acute focus upon all aspects of service delivery. I am aware, for example, that the process of issuing Building Permits is lengthy and one of the structural changes will directly address this. In addition, there are a number of posts where recruitment is in progress.
Mr. Speaker, streamlining planning processes can take many forms. There are some specific, short-term changes that can enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of our current system to meet the evolving needs of our community, which I will outline in this statement. However, making meaningful and long-term changes to the system also requires strategic thinking.
Mr. Speaker, development plans are central to the planning decision-making process, and it is critical to continually assess their effectiveness in meeting our needs. In alignment with our goal of streamlining the system, the Department has been in the process of implementing fundamental planning reforms to change the mechanics of the decision-making process and the application of development plans.
Mr. Speaker, there are repeated instances whereby a technical officer within the Department considers a proposal to be supportable on balance, however, due to a minor detail and the current decision-making framework, a recommendation for refusal is mandated. This process frustrates both applicants, who must then appeal their application, and departmental staff, who are unable to exercise their professional judgement in making recommendations to the Development Applications Board.
Mr. Speaker, to address this, the Department has been transitioning the system towards a discretion-based form of decision making, as is used in numerous other progressive jurisdictions. This process began with the North East Hamilton Local Plan 2022 and is continuing with the emerging City of Hamilton Plan 2024, which is scheduled for adoption this year.
Mr. Speaker, this represents a significant change to our planning system and, over the long-term, will fundamentally alter the way that we think of planning in Bermuda.
Mr. Speaker, this change will provide the Department with increased leverage in the negotiating process and foster a collaborative culture between the development industry and the Department. In turn, this will pave the way for ensuring that we have a system which is focussed on achieving positive planning outcomes for the benefit of the wider community, centred around pre-defined strategic objectives.
Mr. Speaker, as the Department continues to revise processes, this is not done in a vacuum. The Director and her team engage regularly with key stakeholder groups to identify and discuss the issues and challenges being experienced along with opportunities and ideas for improvements. These stakeholders include the Institute of Bermuda Architects, the Professional Engineering Registration Council, Chamber of Commerce, the NGO groups, Bermuda Hotel Association amongst others. It is through this essential dialogue that ideas are born and then acted upon.
Mr. Speaker, aside from the overarching reform, there have been some easier processes and procedures that have recently been changed. In direct response to complaints expressed about the duration of planning permission being restricted to two years, this has been extended to three years to facilitate landowners to obtain their building permits, financing, and engagement of contractors. In addition, the Department is working to make legislative amendments to enable the Development Applications Board to approve retroactive applications. This avoids the current process of appealing a refused application to the Minister simply due to its retroactive nature. This will in turn save time and money for the applicant.
Mr. Speaker, the Department has worked to produce an amendment to the General Development Order which sets out criteria for additional minor works that are deemed to be ‘permitted’. This amendment aims to increase the scope of work that does not require full planning permission but rather just a building permit. For those minor works deemed to be ‘permitted’ this will shorten the planning process by almost half of the current timeframe. This amendment is being drafted with consultation with key stakeholder groups to occur imminently.
Mr. Speaker, the Department intends to integrate streamlining measures to lend greater support to the construction industry by introducing a Competent Persons’ Scheme [CPS]. This scheme will be a game changer for Bermuda as “individuals and enterprises” [entities] will be able to self-certify that their work complies with the building regulations as an alternative to the building inspection process. This will allow the entity to commence and complete work without interruption, thus reducing time and costs. This initiative is being produced in tandem with the Department of Workforce Development.
Mr. Speaker, the Department is in the process of preparing a comprehensive communications strategy that will increase public awareness of the Department and the services it provides. The Strategy will comprise of enhanced social media, website improvements utilizing AI, informative updates, and workshops for both stakeholders and the public.
Mr. Speaker, in 2019 the Department went completely paperless with its online application system. All applications for planning permission and building permits can be submitted day or night, via the Customer Self Service website at www.planning,gov.bm Applicants can check on the status of their application any time. The public can review the details of any newly advertised application and submit their comments, without leaving their home or office.
With over 3,000 registered users, the system has received high praise from our internal and external customers.
Mr. Speaker, the Department will continue to utilize advances in technology as it works to add further modifications and enhancements to the system.
Mr. Speaker, since becoming Minister responsible for Planning, I have spent time listening to a cross section of people about their interaction with the Department but also have spent time getting to know the Planning team. There are opportunities for fundamental reform as I discussed earlier that will have greater impact in the long term. The Planning team are very desirous of this in addition to the other initiatives that remain ongoing. We will continue to engage regularly with stakeholders in the community to ensure that we are being responsive to their valid concerns. We have listened and are prepared to act.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I am encouraged that the Director, Mrs. Victoria Cordeiro and her team are committed to making the necessary changes for the ultimate betterment of Bermuda and I am excited to update this Honourable House on additional initiatives soon.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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