Ministry of PPID Pleased With Launch of National Physical Development Plan

#TurksandCaicos, October 8, 2021 – It was an exciting week for Minister Hon. Akierra Mary Deanne Missick & Ministry of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, as the long awaited National Physical Development Plan, went live on October 1, 2021.

The Ministry lauded the Department of Planning’s accomplishment of a contemporary National Physical Development Plan for the TCI since these islands have not had an up-to-date development plan for the past twenty (20) years.

The Plan will promote and encourage sustainable physical, economic and social development, while at the same time protect and enhance the natural environment of the TCI. Additionally, it will be a tool to be used to ensure that physical development occurs in a sustainable manner that protects the environment and ensures an equitable share of natural resources are protected for future generations.

The Planning Team and Ministry are particularly proud of the Plan as it will create cohesion among key TCIG Stakeholders while securing the Ministry of Physical Planning & Infrastructure Development’s role as the manager of physical development throughout the TCI.

In the past week leading up to the launch date, the Planning team, inclusive of the Director, Mr Dainer Lightbourne, Deputy Director, Mr Toriano Williams and Acting Assistant Director Mr Reginald Charles, joined by the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Mrs Bridgette Newman, with support from Directors, Mr Garvin Thomas (PWD) and Mr Neroy Kennedy (Estates), toured the Islands; to present individualised copies of the Plan, along with sectional maps and other promotional paraphernalia to the District Commissioners of North, Middle and South Caicos. Due to inclement weather, the Salt Cay trip was delayed.

The District Commissioners were all elated to receive copies of the Plan and stressed how much a part of the process they felt.

The Team did not stop there as a number of other key stakeholders inclusive of the Directors of Invest TCI, DECR, Environmental Health, Land Registry, Land Survey, Agriculture, Tourism, Tourism Risk Manager as well as a number of past Chairmen of the Physical Planning Board were all presented with copies of the Plan.

On the heels of the launch of the Plan, the Turks & Caicos Islands Government has already received accolades for its design. The Florida Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects has recognised the National Physical Development Plan for a design award: Going beyond Land Use: The Turks and Caicos Islands National Physical Development Plan (2020).

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is the professional association for landscape architects in the United States, representing more than 15,000 members. Landscape architects lead the planning, design, and stewardship of healthy, equitable, safe, and resilient environments. The Society’s mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education, and fellowship.

Commenting on the awesome job of the Planning Team and how excited she was at the conclusion and launch of the Plan, Minister, the Honorable Akierra Mary Deanne Misick stated, “The National Physical Development Plan will shape the physical development that will take place in these Islands over the next 10 years.

The Plan, we encourage all to review whether in person at the Planning Department or online via www.gov.tc.

The way physical development whether commercial, residential, private or public has changed in these Islands. All proposals must fit within the Plan, and ensure we are developing a sustainable and resilient Turks & Caicos Islands inclusive of heritage sites, environmental protection, green spaces, transportation network, and interconnection of our Islands.

Over the upcoming months, the Ministry of PPID will continue to highlight the plan, its function, and its purpose.

We will have town hall meetings around the Islands to explain the specific plan for each Island and have stakeholders which are all of us who live and work in these Islands to truly gather where we are going as a Country physically.”