Guernsey Adopts Climate-Resilient Harbour Development Plan

The States of Deliberation voted to adopt the Local Planning Brief (LPB) in April 2025, giving the green light to 18 new planning policies that will guide development in St Peter Port and St Sampson – the island's economic lifelines.

London-based planning consultancy Tibbalds spearheaded the policy development, leading a technical team to tackle the complex challenge of balancing future development opportunities with protecting essential port operations and building climate resilience.

"We were really interested to find out how the harbours could change and encourage development over the short term to make them even better places for people, whilst protecting these essential operational functions and planning in climate resilience," Hilary Satchwell who led the project for Tibbalds explained.

The breakthrough framework addresses mounting pressures on Guernsey's harbour areas, which handle critical functions including energy supply, freight movement, and passenger transport. With climate change threatening coastal infrastructure worldwide, the policy introduces new flood risk protections while identifying development opportunities suited to different risk zones.

Key innovations include enhanced flood risk policies and measures to better balance visitor needs with car parking and town centre uses. The plan also establishes crucial protections for operational harbour functions essential to the island's long-term security and resilience.

The policy framework emerged from extensive stakeholder consultation involving States officers, the Guernsey Development Agency, the Ports Authority, and local communities. This collaborative approach ensured the final policies directly reflect real-world needs and constraints.

The adopted LPB was produced for the States by a team made up of Tibbalds, Expedition, Momentum, Aspinall Verdi, Beckett Rankine, Fisher Associates and Participatr. It provides the policy foundation for positive development decisions while safeguarding Guernsey's harbour infrastructure against future climate challenges – a model that could influence similar island and coastal communities facing the dual pressures of development and climate resilience.

There is more information about the Local Planning Brief on the Tibbalds website.