MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ground investigations in the Falklands for the new port project

FIPASS and Stanley Growers, the area next to where the new Falklands port facilities are planned to be built (Pic Arvid Olai Mjønes)

The Falkland Islands Planning and Building Committee unanimously approved a planning application for ground investigations at FIPASS and Stanley Growers as part of the preparations for the new port project.

Head of Planning and Building Lee Kenebel said he “would not normally bring applications to dig holes to committee” but emphasized that there was no application yet to build a port.

He said his department had a “watching brief” at this stage and that, while there were basic planning conditions for the ground investigations, there would be “a healthy suite of conditions” if the project reached the port stage.

A building permit for a new house at Port Louis was also approved unanimously. Committee member Gary Clement asked how it would sit in the historical settlement, but planning head Lee Kenebel explained that this would be a planning matter not a building one and the house could be built under permitted development rights in Camp.

However he had already described the house as “handsome” with “a feeling of having evolved”.

Mr Kenebel said that he and his team were “churning out the work” and that “the people of Stanley are still able to build” as he told Planning and Building Committee on Wednesday that 10 planning applications and seven building permits had been dealt with under delegated powers since last month’s meeting. (Penguin News)