FAQS

Sustainable development seeks to balance and integrate social, environmental and economic considerations to meet the needs of the nation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

A few examples of considerations include ensuring adequate space for housing, education, and healthcare. Establishing corridors for transportation, electricity, and water delivery. Accounting for economic growth, while balancing land for agriculture/food production and environmental conservation.

A Development Plan is a document that outlines policies and proposals for land use which ultimately aims to guide development within a prescribed area.

A Development Plan is a document (or collection of documents) that outline policies and proposals for land use. The document(s) aims to guide development within a prescribed area by defining the various land-uses, referred to as “Zones”. These zones are defined and then applied to a map.

The Cayman Islands have had a Development Plan since 1977, with the most recent plan dated 1997. Learn more about the History of Cayman’s Development Plans here.

PlanCayman is the name for Cayman’s long-range comprehensive development plan which will be used to guide physical development and overall land use in the Cayman Islands. PlanCayman is comprised of 3 key elements:

* Planning Statement: high-level policy defining land use zones available for Cayman, and identification of land use priorities.

* Area Plans and zoning map: map which assigns land use zones.

* Development and Planning Regulations: legislation to support the Planning Statement, Area Plans, and Zoning Map.

PlanCayman is crucial for promoting orderly growth, sustainable development and the efficient use of resources in the Cayman Islands. It will establish land use and development priorities, and assist decision-makers with making informed choices pertaining to land use, infrastructure and community development, while balancing the needs of the population, and environmental conservation.

Development Planning in the Cayman Islands has its origins in the passing of the Development and Planning Law in 1971. This act established the Central Planning Authority (CPA) and charged that authority with responsibility for preparing a Plan and for administering its provisions once it was approved. The Plan was required to indicate how land in the Cayman Islands is used; to define the sites of roads, buildings and open spaces; and to allocate areas of land for specific uses.

The Central Planning Authority (“CPA”), pursuant to section 5(1) of the Development and Planning Act (2021 Revision) has the duty “to secure consistency and continuity in the framing and execution of a comprehensive policy approved by Cabinet with respect to the use and development of the land in the Islands to which this Act applies”.

In 2023 a Project Team was formed to assist the Central Planning Authority with the review of the National Development Plan via an approved Project Delivery Plan.

The Project Team includes representatives from the Central Planning Authority, Development Control Board, Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing, Infrastructure, Transport and Development (Min. PAHITD), the Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency (Min. SCR) and the Department of Planning.

The policies contained within the NPF are being used as the basis for the updated Planning Statement document. In 2018, the then Ministry of Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure and Department of Planning commenced the PlanCayman exercise to develop a holistic National Planning Framework (NPF) document. Consultation on the draft NPF commenced in November 2018 and was extended to February 2019 to allow additional time for feedback. Over 2,000 comments were submitted, from 356 responses, and these have all been considered in full and amendments to the NPF document have been proposed, where applicable.

In September 2019 the Central Planning Authority approved the final draft NPF document for transmission to the Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing & Infrastructure for adoption. In August 2022, the current Central Planning Authority reviewed the draft NPF, which has been revised to incorporate both Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands, and forwarded same to the Ministry of Planning in September 2022. The final draft NPF was published on the PlanCayman website in February 2023.

The Planning Statement sets out the policies which the Central Planning Authority and Development Control Board will use to apply Zones, and Overlays to the Area Plans. The 2024 Planning Statement will replace the 1997 Planning Statement document and incorporates the policies previously identified within the National Planning Framework document.

A key aspect of PlanCayman is the introduction of Area Plans, which provide a mechanism to implement national objectives and policies in a manner that is applicable to individual locations. This is the first time that Area Plans are being used in the Cayman Islands.

Area Plans are intended to be consistent with the National Planning Framework and the Planning Statement but offer area-specific variations to meet the particular needs of that place. This is a recognition that the character of the Cayman Islands varies significantly over a relatively small area and so policies that might be appropriate in more developed and urbanised locations may not be suitable for other less developed or tranquil places.

The Area Plan process also allows for different techniques and policy interventions to be implemented in different locations. For example, issues relating to urban design, public realm and built form will be of utmost importance in some locations and so zoning criteria and codes could be introduced in those places to best achieve the desired outcomes. Meanwhile, in other locations, issues concerning the natural environment, open space and coastal protection may be more pressing and so policy interventions that respond to those challenges will take precedence in the Area Plans for those places.

As each Area Plan is prepared, the boundaries for Planning Zones and Overlay Zones for that area will be determined and then, once approved, it will create a new section in the overall Zoning Map for the Cayman Islands. Each Area Plan will state how zoning considerations will be applied within that area (i.e. the maximum building height for a Neighbourhood Commercial zone may vary between different Areas).

Yes. Area Plans will be prepared for each of the Sister Islands (i.e. one Area Plan each for Cayman Brac and Little Cayman) and Zones and Overlays will be introduced as considered necessary and appropriate.

Each Area Plan will bring forward updated zoning considerations for individual parcels of land. These will be consulted upon during the preparation of each Area Plan and, once approved in Parliament, will be reflected in the overall zoning map for the Islands.

Public participation is essential for ensuring that development plans reflect community priorities, values, and concerns.

It provides opportunities for stakeholders to contribute local knowledge, expertise, and perspectives, fostering transparency, legitimacy, and ownership of the planning process and outcomes.

Each component of PlanCayman (such as the Planning Statement and each separate Area Plan) will be subject to 60-day public consultation as mandated by section 3(a) of the Development and Planning Act (2021 Revision). Consultation will consist of a combination of in-person and virtual/online events and processes. Consultation on all aspects of PlanCayman will be open to all members of the community to get involved and contribute their comments.

The Planning Statement  and each of the eleven (11) individual Area Plans and updated zoning maps will require approval by the Cayman Islands Parliament. If any objections are made during public consultation, the Minister will refer the matter to a Development Plan Tribunal for an enquiry. The tribunal report will then be submitted to the Central Planning Authority for consideration. Once any amendments are made, the CPA will forward the documents to Cabinet for onward transmission to Parliament, along with the relevant plan or proposal, for final approval.

The Planning Statement proposes that the Area Plans are prepared in a cascading sequence, and then reviewed every 5 years.

The cascading sequence paired with a 5 year review period allows for continuous community engagement and improvement. It also enables the review process to be more responsive to changing pressures and the needs of the community, while inviting public involvement on a more regular basis.

The intention is that this will make the plan review more accountable to the people and provide greater clarity about how individuals can contribute to the process and have a greater say in the future of their neighbourhood.

Upon approval by Parliament, the primary means with which PlanCayman will be implemented is through introducing policies which result in amendments to the Development and Planning Regulations and decisions on planning applications.

However, the National Planning Framework document also includes much broader national goals and objectives, the implementation of which involves various mechanisms. This includes infrastructure investments, incentives and partnerships with public and private stakeholders.

Effective coordination, monitoring, and enforcement are essential for translating the plan’s policies into tangible outcomes.