A number of islands around the UK and Ireland have their own parliament or equivalent body, make their own law and operate their own planning systems.

Key amongst these are:

• The Isle of Man
• Guernsey
• Jersey

Other islands and island groups do not have their own governments but give rise to interesting and unique planning issues.

Clicking links in the articles below will lead you to planning information about the islands but will take you away from the RTPI website, to content owned and managed by island governments and councils.

The Isle of Man 

The island has a two tier government structure consisting of an Island Parliament and administration, which makes and administers planning laws, and 'local authorities', which equate to town or civil parish councils found in England or Wales.

Click here to access the Isle of Man Government

Click here to access the Department of Local Government and the Environment which manages the planning service for the island.

Click here for the Isle of Man planning service home page.

Man is part of the RTPI North West Region.

Guernsey 

The island has a similar structure of an Island Parliament and administration (the States of Deliberation) and 10 parishes.

Click here to access the Guernsey Government

Click here to access the Environment Department with manages the planning service for the island

Click here for the Guernsey planning service home page.

Jersey 

The island has a similar structure of an Island Parliament and administration (the States of Jersey) and 12 parishes.

Click here to access the Jersey Government

Click here to access the Planning and Environment Department which manages the planning service for the island.

The Channel Islands including Guernsey and Jersey are part of the RTPI South West Region

Other islands

Some island territories such as Herm and Sark operate in a similar independent manner to Man, Jersey and Guernsey, but they do not have large scale planning administrations.

Other islands form part of the nations of England, Scotland or Wales, where national legislation applies and the island council has the status of local planning authority or equivalent.  Examples with links to relevant island planning services include:

• The Scilly Isles in England, where a number of legislative differences to the English planning system also apply
• The Isle of Wight in England
• The Western Isles/Eilean Siar in Scotland
• Shetland in Scotland
• Orkney in Scotland

Author:

Rynd Smith

Publisher:

The Royal Town Planning Institute

Date:

03-Jul-09

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