Appointment of the Advisory Town Planning Panel (ATPP)

Center Mrs Camille Robinson-Regis Honourable Minister of Planning and Development distributes instruments of appointment to Chairman Ms Lynn Hiliaire, from left Mrs Joanne Deoraj Permanent Secretary and ATPP Board Members Mr Jamel Reid and from right Ms Gitanjalie Gopeesingh and Ms Nathalie Atkinson .Excluded from the photo was Michael Jerome Keens-Dumas who joined the ceremony via Skype.

Congratulations to the newly selected Advisory Town Planning Panel, who received their instruments of appointment on April 20^th, 2016. The board, in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act Chapter 35:01 was established for advising the Minister on any matter within their knowledge or on which the Minister may seek advice.

From a policy level the board has a key stake in the spatial development and therefore impacts meaningfully on the Ministry of Planning and Development’s mandate towards national development. The newly appointed Chairman, Ms Lynn Hiliare assured all present of her competence and willingness to do the work that is ahead, understanding that it is not an easy task and extended this position to represent other appointed members. The full panel include:

•   Ms Lynn Hilaire –Chairman
• Ms Nathalie Atkinson
• Mr Jamel Reid
• Ms Gitanjalie Gopeesingh
•  Mr Micheal Jerome Keens-Dumas – Representative from the Tobago House of Assembly (THA)

To the above mentioned, Mrs Camille Robinson- Regis, Minister of Planning and Development projected the ground breaking work the task of the board promises to bring to the development of Trinidad and Tobago, and the selfless service of the position . She emphasised that one of the critiques of our governance model over the past few years, was “the apparent penchant for ad hoc decision making, and the creation of policy on the hoof.” She goes on to mention that equity and equality must be ensured at all levels, especially as land use and space is important to ensure environmental sustainability and structurally enriching regulated space of our Small Island State.

 Also present at the ceremony were the Ministry of Planning and Development’s Permanent Secretary Mrs. Joanne Deoraj and Mrs Ayleen Ovid, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry.