Developers, Citizens Urged to Check Development Orders

Developers and citizens interested in learning about the regulations and guidelines that govern development in any given area are being encouraged to examine the Development Orders prepared by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).

A Development Order is a legal document used to guide land use in the area to which it applies.

It enables the Local Planning Authority and/or the Town and Country Planning Authority to regulate land developments within the area defined as the Development Order Area.

Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank on Tuesday (April 18), Project Manager, NEPA, Dione Chambers, shared that Development Orders become available once a detailed assessment has been completed of an area.

“We normally get the Development Order to become provisional, at which point it is printed and notices [are placed] in the local newspapers for persons to access,” she explained.

The Orders are also available at local post offices, police stations, or the relevant municipal corporation, and can also be accessed online via NEPA’s website at https://www.nepa.gov.jm/.

The Project Manager told JIS News that Development Orders have been completed for special areas in all 14 parishes, including Negril in Westmoreland and Green Island in Hanover.

Additionally, NEPA has received approval for the Kingston and St. Andrew and the Pedro Cay’s Development Orders, which are being completed.

Noting the concerns in relation to the increase in the number and height of buildings in the Corporate Area, Ms. Chambers shared that “we are targeting specific corridors, such as the Constant Spring area. We have some select areas along Lady Musgrave, Old Hope Road, Hope Road and within other local planning areas such as downtown Kingston”.

Ms. Chambers noted that on review of the Development Order for certain areas, members of the public can object to the development plan that has been proposed.

The Municipal Corporation can also oppose the proposed development plan for privately owned properties within an area.

NEPA, which plays a critical role in supporting the National Disaster Risk Management Council and tenets of the Disaster Risk Management Act, also has a permit and licensing system in place to ensure that the environment in which structures are being developed is protected in the event of an earthquake or other disaster.

“We have to make sure that the integrity of the structures is met [so] we do site inspections. We also ensure that they meet international standards and best practices, among other things, when issuing our permits and licences,” Ms. Chambers said.

NEPA, the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), Incorporated Master Builders Association and the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) are among the entities that participated in the JIS Think Tank organised by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) to discuss earthquake preparedness and response.