| New Crown land laws enacted without forum’s changes | | Print | |
| Written by Richard Green/richard@fptci.com | |||
| Monday, 02 April 2012 15:15 | |||
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Laws that put the legal teeth in the new Crown Land Policy were enacted April 1, putting the system under the Attorney General’s Chambers. The Crown Land Unit, the Land Registry, the Survey and Mapping Department, and the Valuation Office all now come under the attorney general. Land transfers still have to be approved by elected ministers, and the governor must accept their decisions unless otherwise ordered by the U.K. secretary of state, or if the transfer violates governance principals. That change came despite objections from the public and the Consultative Forum who have argued that the change wouldn’t prevent the type of corruption alleged under the former system of direct ministerial control. The interim government said the change was the result of recommendations by Sir Robin Auld in his 2009 Commission of Inquiry report that found evidence of widespread corruption among government officials and others. Forum members also objected to a provision that would not allow people to request a particular piece of property, instead requiring requests to be made by area in a type of lottery. That recommendation came from the governor’s Advisory Council and from the public during more than two years of consultations. From now on, the only Belongers who can seek Crown land are those who have never received it and who do not already own a residential parcel. And parcels will be smaller than the current average half-acre size so that more people can get property. The Crown Land Policy was approved by the governor and published in October and was put into effect by the laws enacted April 1. It is one of eight milestones required by the U.K. for return to elected government. The laws were drafted with European Union funding and had to be passed by the end of March to continue to receive further EU development grants. Click here to read the Crown Land Policy Click here to read the government's press release on the policy
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