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Changes to the Planning Permission And Building Approval Processes of KSAMC

By: , January 12, 2022
Changes to the Planning Permission And Building Approval Processes of KSAMC
Photo: Mark Bell
Mayor of Kingston, Senator Councillor Delroy Williams, addresses the monthly meeting of the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), on January 11, at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.

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Mayor of Kingston, Senator Councillor Delroy Williams, says several changes have been made to the planning permission and building approval processes of the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), to improve transparency and accountability and for greater efficiency.

Speaking at the monthly meeting of the KSAMC on January 11, at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston, Mayor Williams said the changes include the posting of all approved and refused applications on the Corporation’s website, as well as the implementation of an information and communications technology (ICT)-based complaints system.

“We are bent on improving the process and finding opportunities for improvement. We are seeking solutions for a sector that is critical to the City’s economy,” he said.

Pointing out that, on average, the Municipality receives approximately 1,000 building applications annually and processes more than 90 per cent of those within the 90-day cycle, the Mayor attributed this fast turnaround time for applications to the growth of the sector.

Citing the sector’s impact on economic performance, he said the review is part of several measures to strengthen the building approval and planning process.

“There are weaknesses in the process and [we are] bent and committed to finding those weaknesses and resolving and addressing them in a very committed manner,” he emphasised.

Mayor Williams said several letters have been written to the relevant entities – the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service – recommending a review of the planning and building approval process, as well as an examination of the planning department of municipalities, which, he noted, will be impacted by the proposed recommendations.

The Mayor said that the review may necessitate legislative and procedural changes in other agencies and ministries.

Last Updated: January 12, 2022

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