Less than a month after it was rejected on the Isle of Man, Jersey has held its first virtual planning committee meeting.

Following a successful trial, members of the public will be able to join the meeting via the online platform Microsoft Teams, and will be able to take part.

Chairman of Jersey’s planning committee, Deputy Russell Labey, said: ’For this work to continue, we must continue to embrace technology and new ways of working. Much is now being done virtually and we have seen success in other areas of government, including the States Assembly.

’I am pleased to chair the online meetings of the planning committee, we will have the same robust procedures in place and will maintain transparency in all areas of public work, and I look forward to welcoming members of the public to the meeting.’

Tynwald was told in May that it was not possible to run virtual meetings at this time but Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister Geoffrey Boot said it ’may well be that we can evolve this process’.

At the moment, the planning committee, chaired by Martyn Perkins (Garff), is sitting with only members of the committee able to participate remotely.

Mr Boot added: ’I have worked with Zoom and other spheres in public and engaged with members. It is fraught with difficulties, as we know here; we have problems with the technology and the platforms in department meetings.

’I think the system that we have at the moment is fit for purpose. It may evolve going forward, but we are where we are with the emergency.’

’As I see it at the moment, as long as the restrictions on gatherings apply, there will be no physical planning committee meetings. I am happy to look at and commit to looking at ways of improving the situation in terms of virtuality and codes as things progress.

’Our IT department has been fairly stretched at the moment, as services in government generally, but as time progresses I am sure that they will have more ability to look at some of these issues.’

Planning appeals and inquiries were considered to be conducted by written submissions only as the Council of Minister didn’t favour a virtual sitting.

This led to the sacking of former Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas after he voted against the defeated motion.

Mr Thomas shared the news of Jersey’s virtual planning committee on Twitter this afternoon

He is in favour of virtual sittings as a way to ease the backlog of the planning system as inspectors are not currently able to visit the island and meetings of the committee remain closed to the public. Although agendas are published earlier and minutes are published after the next meeting.