Planning Minister says 'No' to rural supermarket site

In what could be the final nail in the coffin for the Economic Development department’s plans to introduce a third operator to the market, Senator Cohen says that no rural or semi-rural site will be approved while he is in charge of Planning.

The new Island Plan is currently being developed, and places a new emphasis on development in town rather than the countryside.

Senator Cohen has already come under pressure to ease up on that policy from Housing Minister Terry Le Main – who declared the new plan ‘a disaster’ because it would not rezone fields for housing – and is standing firm in response to his colleagues.