Act N° 45 of 1992 - Town and Country Planning Act - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

The functions of the Board [Physical Planning and Development Board] shall be

(a) to institute and maintain a study of town and country development; 

(b) to prepare in accordance with sections 8 and 9, a national plan, and regional and local plans for submission to the Minister for approval by Cabinet and to keep the plans under review; 

(c) to prepare, in accordance-with section 12, for submission to the Minister for transmission to Cabinet, such subject reports to the Board or the Minister may from time to time consider necessary or desirable to assist the proper planning of the use or development of land; 

(d)  to ensure the orderly and progressive development of land and the proper planning of town and country areas; 

(e)  to control development by' such means as are provided by this Act;

All national, regional and local plans submitted to Cabinet for approval shall, unless Cabinet otherwise requires, be considered by, the Minister who, subject to subsection 3, may approve the plan, make modifications thereto or return the plan to the Board for reconsideration.

(3) For the purpose of preparation of regional plans the Board shall consider, in relation to a particular region, the following matters – 

a) the most advantageous development and use of land within the region. 

b) the numerical size and distribution of the population; 

c) prevailing economic, physical and environmental conditions; 

d) the availability of public utilities, social services, traffic and communications; 

e) the availability of resources likely to be required for the purpose of carrying into effect the proposals of the regional plan concerned; 

f) the relationship between, those propos3ls and the current national plan and all other regional plans hitherto prepared 

g) the environmental impact of any proposal; 

h) such other matters as may be prescribed or as the Minister may direct.

 

The national plan and even the regional and local plans prepared under section 7 shall comprise 

a)        a written statement containing the policies and proposals of the Board in relation to the planning of the use and development of the area with which the plan is concerned; and 

b)        any maps, diagrams, or other illustrative or descriptive matter as to the Board may seem appropriate/for the purpose of explaining those policies and proposals which shall be published in the manner prescribed by Regulations made under this Act. 

 

For the purposes of the preparation of local plans the Board shall consider, in relation to a particular locality, the following matters - 

a)        the principal functions of the locality concerned and any systems of traffic and communication therein; 

b)        the precise location of all proposed roads, buildings and open spaces and of any land to be set aside as a residential, industrial or agricultural area, and the relationship between each of the foregoing and the other; 

c)        the foreseeable effect of the establishment of locations under paragraph (b) on adjacent areas outside the locality concerned and in relation to any already existing plans for such areas; 

d)        any other measures which, in the opinion of the Board, are or may be required 10 ensure the provisions of a satisfactory environment in the locality concerned; 

e)        the stages by which the development of the locality concerned should be undertaken; 

f)        the availability of resources likely to be required for the purpose of carrying into effect the proposals of the local plan concerned. 

 

At least once in every five years after the date on which a development plan for any area is approved by Cabinet, the Board shall carry out a fresh survey of that area and submit to the Minister a report of the survey, together with proposals for any alternative plan or addition to that plan, that appears to be required.

"development" includes all building, demolition, rebuilding and mining works, any subdivision of land, the display of any advertisement, and any change of use; 

""land"" includes land covered by water, incorporeal hereditaments of every tenure or description. and any interest therein and any undivided share in land