A plan designed to modernise and improve the speed of the planning system is due to go to before Tynwald later this month.

The plan will set out legislative changes and planning initiatives which the government believe will make the system ’more dynamic, flexible and responsive’ and follows a public consultation.

The statement from the Cabinet Office says the plan is designed to better reflect government priorities and improve the effectiveness and flexibility of planning in the island.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK said: ’The planning system has a crucial role to play in maintaining the Isle of Man’s reputation as a special place to live and work.

’It can help to generate the economic prosperity and inward investment needed to create jobs for our people and to fund the public services we all rely on.’

The action plan includes the introduction of national policy directives which, could potentially, with Tynwald approval, lead to the development plan being overridden in an effort to make planning ’more responsive to changing needs’.

The plans also propose the introduction of a community infrastructure levy which will aim to ensure new builds provide not only economic benefits but wider ranging environmental and social benefits.

The new planning system will also introduce online submission of planning applications which it is hoped will further streamline the system.

There is also scope for Tynwald to take a more active role in planning as the document released to announce the new action plan includes the statement that the new plans will.

’Make it easier for Government’s priorities to be reflected in the way planning applications are considered.’

In the consultation report, there was a general view with one answer that Tynwald should retain the final say on planning matters, which the plans should ensure.

The action plan says this is important as it will ’enable changes in policy to be brought about more quickly, when necessary, to continue to meet public demands’.

Further changes include changing the criteria regarding ’interested person status’ which it is stated will allow relevant concerns while ’reducing scope for unnecessary delays’.

However, while respondents to the consultation rejected changes to planning in regards to telecoms, the government plans include making this process faster for the reason of making ’our lives easier and businesses more profitable’.

The government have also committed to completing the eastern area plan ’as a matter of urgency’ when plans for the west and north will begin with an expected completion date of late 2021.