Island Development Plan inquiry costs £150,000

An inquiry into proposed changes to Guernsey's Island Development Plan cost an estimated £150,000, according to a Freedom of Information response.

The figure was released ahead of a debate on affordable housing sites scheduled for the beginning of November.

The request asked for the total cost of the inquiry that led to the planning inspector's decision in 2026, including travel, room hire, hotel meals, printing and the cost of States employees involved in the process.

In its response, the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure said the planning inquiry was a required part of the statutory process for the focused review of the Island Development Plan.

The plan is the principal planning framework for growth and construction across the island.

The committee said the inquiry was an independent public process that took place across 22 months.

It explained additional work and costs arose because an extra consultation stage was added after the previous Development & Planning Authority changed its initial review proposals following public consultation feedback.

The committee also said the inquiry was interrupted by the 2025 general election and the election of a new Development & Planning Authority, which generated further work and expense.

According to the response, direct costs related to the inquiry were about £136,000. These included the planning inspector's time, travel and expenses, room hire, IT support, communications and administration.

The committee said States of Guernsey staff costs were about £14,000, bringing the total estimated cost of the inquiry to about £150,000.

The response said the costs arose from the inquiry process concerning the inspector's review of, and public consultation on, proposed changes to the Island Development Plan recommended by the Development & Planning Authority.

It added that the inquiry provided a formal process through which relevant planning matters could be examined before subsequent decisions were taken.

Deputy Andy Sloan, President of the Scrutiny Management Committee, said: "There are some costs that government has to bear. Undertaking a review of the Island Development Plan falls into that category I'm afraid.

"I know £150,000 sounds a lot but in the grand scheme of things, bearing in mind the technical depth and scale of the exercise, it doesn't feel excessive to me."

The Freedom of Information request was received on 7 October 2026 and the response was issued on 4 November 2026.

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