The National Planning Framework (Plan Cayman) document, which sets out a proposed development map for the islands, will be moving forward in the upcoming fiscal year, the Planning Ministry has said.
The ministry, in response to Cayman Compass queries on the status of the plan, said, under guidance of the Central Planning Authority, “the Department of Planning is currently in the process of seeking approval of the National Planning Framework (Plan Cayman) document.”
For the 2022/2023 financial year, the ministry said, Phase 1 of the five phases (area plans) will cover the review of the Seven Mile Beach corridor.
“The Department will also commence the review of the development and building control framework in the second area plan. The intention is that the area plans will implement the objectives of the National Planning Framework but will offer area specific variations to meet the particular needs of the different places,” it added.
The ministry said Plan Cayman, which initially began under the Progressives-led administration, “will ensure that land-use decisions work hand in hand with the economic, social and environmental well-being of our Islands”.
Premier Wayne Panton, back in July, said there have been a number of meetings between his Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency, the Planning Ministry and the Lands Ministry to work through what has to be done on the development plan.
The plan, he said, is a multi-year project and he is not expecting to have the full development plan completed for Cayman until probably the next government term.
Cayman’s population now stands at 78,554, according to Spring Labour Survey numbers.
The 2021 Census Report, the ministry added, will be a key part of the evidence-based area plan preparations.
“As noted within the National Planning Framework, Cayman represents a unique situation where a small population has grown significantly around the opportunities presented by global economies,” the statement said.
The final report of the 2021 census showed Cayman’s population had grown by 29.2% since the last census in 2010 and stood at 71,105 as of October 2021.
This week Deputy Premier Chris Saunders, speaking on the Cayman Compass Facebook show The Resh Hour, said Cayman’s population now stands at 78,554, an increase of 10.5% over the number of people counted in the October survey, based on the data in the upcoming Economic and Statistics Office’s Spring Labour Force Report.
“That’s an increase of 7,449,” he said, adding “that is a very big jump in a very short period of time”.
Plan is 25 years old
The last development plan for the Cayman Islands was created back in 1997 and is still in play, though over the years there have been attempts to update it.
Plan Cayman, which was started under Premier Alden McLaughlin’s administration in 2018, was a long-range comprehensive plan to guide physical development and the overall use of land on Grand Cayman.
“The purpose of the Plan is to assist residents, developers, government agencies and the Central Planning Authority by establishing goals, objectives and guidelines for future development. The Plan is a living document and will be reviewed and updated as actions are achieved and conditions change,” its description stated.
The planning ministry, in its statement to the Compass, said a key aspect of the Plan Cayman process, where area plans are prepared sequentially, is that it allows for continuous review and community engagement.
“This enables the plan review process to be more responsive to changing needs of the community and invites public involvement on a more regular basis,” it added.
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