ST. KITTS-Government to receive the final draft of the national physical development plan

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC -Sustainable Development Minister, Dr. Joyelle Clarke, says the final draft of the National Physical Development Plan (NPDP) to govern the appropriate use and management in the twin island Federation will be presented to Cabinet in September.

Clarke told Parliament that the plan “guides the physical development and land use management for St. Kitts and Nevis for the next 30 years.

“The final draft will lead to legislative amendments, hence the reason why I am providing this update with major issues, including integrating social impact assessment within the framework of existing environmental impact assessments under the Development and Control Planning Act, adding a modernized definition of agriculture to include agricultural related use given our proposed changes for agriculture, as well as linking supporting documents and standard procedures between the Departments of Marine Resources, Agriculture and Physical Planning,” Clarke said.

The project, prepared within the framework of Improving Environmental Management through Sustainable Land Management in St. Kitts and Nevis, was conceptualized in 2006 with a 15-year lifespan that ended in 2021.
Director of Physical Planning in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Austin Farier, said that in the “updated parent document, the Department of Physical Planning (DPP) proposes a review every five years.

“This shorter period would seek to update legislative and regulatory enhancements where necessary and help align the document to the present government’s vision.

“There will also be the preparation of Local Area Development Plans, which would include proposing future strategies for potential growth pole settlements, such as Sandy Point and Cayon, which would seek to divert the reliance of commuting to Basseterre for goods and services,” said Farier.

He said that the draft document was presented to Cabinet by Dr. Clarke for consideration. It was also reviewed by several stakeholders in February, followed by a second round of consultations” in Ma.

The National Physical Development Plan was prepared within the framework of Improving Environmental Management through Sustainable Land Management in St. Kitts and Nevis. The International Union implemented it for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is being funded through the Global Environment Facility (GEF).