Deputy Sean Power says it is not good enough for Islanders to have to wait until March before the new process is introduced – as suggested by Environment Minister Freddie Cohen.
Instead, he wants it up and running by the start of next year.
The new process will give more people the right to appeal against planning decisions, allowing appeals to be heard in writing and at less formal hearings.
Senator Cohen has asked the States to agree its introduction from March 2007.
But Deputy Power says the £250,000 funding needed to cover the Planning Department’s and the Royal Court’s costs once the appeal system is in place has been approved for the entire year, and is available, so should be used from January.
He has asked the States to agree to the introduction of the new appeals system from 1 January.
That date was cited by Treasury Minister Terry Le Sueur during a debate in September as the date the Council of Ministers would undertake to fund third-party appeals from.
Deputy Power said: ‘I am aware of a number of planning applications in a number of parishes which, if the commitment had been adhered to, would probably have been determined after 1 January 2007, and accordingly the option of a third-party appeal would have been available to potential objectors.
It does not seem equitable to partially renege on that commitment.’
