Deputy PS on planning: Trinidad and Tobago not the wild west

ACTING Planning Ministry Deputy Permanent Secretary Marie Hinds on Friday disagreed that there are insufficient measures to deal with indiscriminate land development in Trinidad and Tobago.

Hinds expressed this view while responding to questions from members of the Finance and Legal Affairs Joint Select Committee (JSC) during a virtual meeting on Friday.

Port of Spain South MP Keith Scotland argued there seemed to be an absence of measures to curb indiscriminate land development, since the Planning and Facilitation Development Act 2014 was never proclaimed.

Hinds replied, " If I were to agree, the assumption would be that there was absolutely nothing in the sphere and in the space of development planning or enforcement.

"It is not that there is nothing taking place, sir. I would not want you leave members of the public thinking that it is the wild, wild West, even though you may perceive that to be the case at times."

She explained the ministry's Town and Country Planning Division (TCPD) deals with these issues.

"It is not as if there is no legislation existing under which we can exercise the enforcement, under which we can develop plans, take them forward to the Cabinet to be approved and then get the sign-off to implement."

Hinds told JSC members the ministry already undertook national spatial development strategy, even before the development of a national planning authority (NPA) catered for in the act.

"We continue to develop local area plans."

She explained that apart from the TCPD, there are other agencies involved in "managing the crazy sort of unregulated development that is taking place there."

Hinds argued that when the act is proclaimed it would strengthen existing mechanisms to deal with unregulated land development.

Observing that Scotland appeared ready to question her again, Hinds said, "I hope you would be kind."

Scotland replied,"I am always kind."

He said in disagreement with Hinds about measures to address indiscriminate land development, "There is an agreement that there is still indiscriminate planning."

Hinds agreed with him that a functioning NPA would strengthen mechanisms to deal with unregulated land use.

She also disclosed there is currently a "complex facilitation development committee" chaired by Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis to give additional oversight on this issue.

Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat asked if technology could be used to identify places where indiscriminate land development is taking place.

TCPD assistant co-ordinator Dr Ancil Kirk said through the ministry's Develop TT system, "We have started the process whereby people can actually lodge complaints using the system."

DevelopTT is a pilot project being undertaken by the Planning Ministry ahead of a national rollout of an automated construction-permitting system.

Rambharat asked if consideration would be given to giving a reward to people who make reports about indiscriminate land development that prove to be true. He pointed out that such a measure already exists under the Conservation of Wildlife Act.

Kirk said the ministry would have to consult its legal team on that matter.