🏝️ Department of Environment highlights issues with coastal setbacks
🌊 Calls for amendment of planning regulations following property damage from Nor'wester
The Department of Environment (DoE) has conducted a review of properties damaged by the recent powerful Nor'wester, which resulted in high seas and near galeforce winds. The damage to coastal structures led to environmental, financial, and personal loss. The DoE has received footage and inquiries about the vulnerability of these properties, many of which the department had advised against waiving the setbacks during planning applications. The DoE stated that generalized coastal setbacks are not sufficient to protect the shoreline or the properties, and planning regulations need to be revised. 🌪️
An interactive map has been created by the DoE, reflecting their review of the technical assessments provided on several developments along the western shore of Grand Cayman. This area experienced particularly severe impacts from high energy wave action and storm surge. The DoE is regularly consulted on development projects under the delegated authority of the National Conservation Council (NCC). However, the majority of these assessments are not legally binding and are only recommendations. The DoE had advised developers of a new project on Northwest Point to move the development back significantly due to the potential for sea damage, but the advice was ignored. 🗺️
The DoE has emphasized the importance of not generalizing coastal setbacks, but instead considering all factors contributing to the vulnerability of a particular location to wave action and coastal inundation. The department is hopeful that the sustainability ministry’s proposal for a fixed coastal setback reference line along Seven Mile Beach, based on long-term scientific data, will be considered for immediate implementation to guide future developments. The experts suggest that planning officials should apply a consistent policy for all proposed coastal development, which should at least meet the current minimum setbacks until the planning regulations are amended to include a coastal setback map. 🏡
