Dr Timothy Mooledhar, one of T&T's leading planners and former chairman of the Advisory Town Planning Panel (ATPP), has been reappointed chairman of that board. The announcement was made on Wednesday by Minister of Planning, Economic and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs Mary King during the presentation of instruments of appointment to the new members of the ATPP. The ceremony, which was chaired by permanent secretary in the ministry, Juliana Johan-Boodram, took place at the conference room of the Financial Complex, Port-of-Spain.
Parliamentary secretary and MP for Couva North Ramona Ramdial was also present. King outlined the many decisions that fell under the purview of the new board and summarised the list of responsibilities it had been empowered to perform.
She cited them as:
• reviewing and providing recommendations to the minister on matters regarding decisions made on applications for planning permissions to develop land;
• addressing any complaints against unauthorised developments;
• enforcing various planning controls; and
• advising the minister on any land development matters that she may need to have advice on.
Mooledhar, an expert in urban planning, said apart from obsolete legislation (governing the board's function) which needed to be either amended or replaced, there was a need to see the role of the ATPP as more than just a review commission.
He added: "In essence when you look at the law, the ATPP is not merely a review panel because it plays a key role in providing an independent and professional input when advising the minister on any matter or in the development of policy and plans." Apart from Mooledhar, the ATPP, which was established under Section 4 of the Town and Country Planning Act, comprises people from "different kinds of disciplines."
They are land and property valuator Zenel Hassan; engineer Donald Ramdass; attorney-at-law Leisa Kisto, and representative from the Tobago House of Assembly Joel Jack.