Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour Minister Carolyn Bertram announced today that, in one of its first orders of business, Cabinet has reversed a decision made by the out-going government to remove special planning areas surrounding four Island municipalities.
“The special planning areas, known to many as buffer zones, were implemented in the 1990s as part of the amalgamation process,” explained Minister Bertram. “Until we have developed a clear policy direction, our government is not prepared to follow through with the changes put in place by the former cabinet.”
On June 7, 2007 the previous government approved last-minute amendments to the Planning Act Subdivision and Development Regulations which would de-designate the special planning areas surrounding Stratford, Charlottetown, Cornwall and Summerside. The amendments were to come into force on June 10, 2008, but will be published in the Royal Gazette this week, as is customary for Executive Council decisions.
The special planning areas were adopted in 1998 as buffer zones to minimize the extent to which unserviced residential, commercial and industrial development may occur, to help sustain rural communities, to minimize the loss of primary industry lands to non-resource land uses, and to minimize the potential for conflicts between resource uses and urban, residential and commercial uses.
Ms. Bertram said government will consider whether amendments to the Planning Act Subdivision and Development Regulations are needed in the future. “We must consider the whole picture, including the broader land use situation, environmental and health concerns, and implications for economic development in all of our communities,” she said. “We want to be in a position to make informed decisions for the benefit of all Islanders.”