Fellow Anguillians, I am encouraged to see the development that has occurred on our beloved Anguilla. However, having been trained in the area of land development, I am compelled to stress the urgent need for us to have a Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP). A CLUP is a written document (text and graphics) that reflects how and for what purposes land owners of a particular community desire their land to be developed.

It is forward looking in nature and serves as a road map or blue print for the orderly, sustainable socio-economic development of that community. A CLUP is created after all stakeholders (land owners, elected officials, community groups, business organizations and interested citizens) in the community have been given ample opportunity to participate in the creation of the plan. Stakeholders typically participate in the creation of the plan by responding to questionnaires, surveys, town hall style meetings, radio and television call in programs, group discussions and by writing letters to the facilitators of the planning process.
One of the early steps in creating a CLUP is to inventory how land in the community has already been developed. This is critical because it serves as one of the factors that determines how adjacent, undeveloped properties might be developed and it also helps to identify what might be needed in that community to sustain and/or create socio-economic development.
To fully understand why we need a CLUP in Anguilla, one must first be aware of some of the consequences of not having one. Most economic planners agree that it is extremely difficult to sustain socio-economic development within populations of less than 25,000 people. Despite the odds, with a population of just over 12,000 people on a 35 square mile island, we have made huge strides. However, as our population increases, we now, and will continue to face the pressing need to carefully plan the use of every acre of our land in order to fully achieve socio-economic viability. Mistakes have been made. Look at the challenge we have with sustaining The Valley as a modern town center. Look at the challenge government has with harmoniously organizing its office accommodations. Look around at some of the problems we have with adequate road access, water and electricity supply to some communities. Look at the strain being placed on our education, healthcare and prison services.
We all want sustainable socio-economic development in Anguilla, but the real question is, what is the plan to get us there? We need to have as a major part of our development plan, consideration for population growth and a CLUP that accommodates that population growth. Included in the plan should be “possible” future sites for the support services: social (educational, healthcare, recreational, cultural); economic (commerce, industry) and physical (transportation, utilities, communications, waste management, emergency management) that will be needed to ensure the growth is orderly and sustained.
My fellow Anguillians, change has and will continue to occur. Failure to proactively and comprehensively plan now will adversely affect our ability to efficiently and cost effectively create that future where Anguilla’s two natural resources, namely, its people and its land will be optimized. Failure to proactively and comprehensively plan now will prolong the day when we will achieve sustainable socio-economic development. We are a proud people who cherish the inheritance of our land. Let us proactively and comprehensively plan now so that when our children and grandchildren inherit our property they will proudly say that we had the wisdom and fortitude to create and implement a Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP).
This is the first, in what I hope would be, a series of articles addressing physical planning issues in Anguilla. Next, I will be addressing zoning and its role as a land control tool.

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