Minimum apartment size rules could be revisited - Jersey Evening Post
by James Jeune · Jersey Evening PostPosted inNews
Minimum apartment size rules could be revisited
by James Jeune 9 July 20268 July 2026
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JERSEY’s incoming new Planning Minister has signalled he is prepared to revisit some of the Island’s most contentious planning rules – including minimum apartment size requirements – as part of a wider drive to cut red tape and make the system more efficient for Islanders and businesses.
Senator Sir Mark Boleat has previously indicated that he wants to pursue significant reform of the current system.
He told the JEP last week that this could involve reducing “the number of requirements that have to be met when people are applying for planning permission”.
Asked whether this would include altering minimum size requirements for apartments, he added: “Those are the sort of things that need to be looked at.
“We need to work out what effect it is having, if it is having the desired effect and if not, consider changes.”
Senator Boleat noted that improving the planning process “is not just about helping the development industry”.
“It is [about] making the system work effectively, permanently – so that it is efficient, predictable and comes to good decisions,” he explained.
“A lot of work has already been done to improve it, I simply want to build on that. It’s not just developers, we are talking about individual homeowners as well who probably account for the majority of planning applications.”
But Senator Boleat also acknowledged that “longer-term, clearly if we want to grow the economy that requires development”.
The plan to split the planning and environment portfolio – with Senator Mary Le Hegarat serving as Environment Minister – drew criticism from former vice-president of the Planning and Environment Committee Alastair Layzell.
“The environment is not just about fisheries and animal welfare, important as they are,” he wrote in a column for the JEP last week.
“It is about the public realm, about more green space for those living in St Helier, about landscaping around new developments, about guarding the Green Zone and the coastline.”
However, Senator Farnham told the JEP that he was “extremely strong on environmental protection” and that he did not want to see the government “compromising any of the advancements we’ve made” in this regard.
He said: “I’m not talking about rezoning great sways of the Island for big development; on the contrary.
“What we have to do is create an Island Plan that’s a lot more realistic for many Islanders who want to do fairly minor works on their homes, and their businesses; and create new and existing, cheaper, affordable homes, who find there’s just no incentive now because there’s too many restrictions.”
Senator Boleat said: “The split seems perfectly logical to me.”
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