The process for obtaining planning permission for development of property in the Cayman Islands has been updated as a result of the latest revision of the Development and Planning Law and accompanying regulations (July 2015).
The update in legislation aims to increase the efficiency of the Central Planning Authority ("the CPA") by formally recognising the role of a Deputy Chairman of the CPA, as well as allowing the Director of Planning, previously required to attend all meetings of the CPA, to send a delegate in his or her absence. Both changes will allow the CPA to meet with greater frequency and reflect the trend of increased real estate development activity in the islands.
The new legislation has also formalised the CPA's discretion in respect of factors it must consider regarding major developments such as hotels, apartments and commercial and industrial developments over a certain size. The accompanying Development and Planning Regulations have also been updated to address some frequently raised issues around the interpretation of setbacks and heights of certain types of buildings, as well as recognising the new designated hotel and tourism development zone in the Beach Bay area of Lower Valley on the southern coast of Grand Cayman.
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