Peter Thorne moved from Wales to Jersey in 1982 when the Island Development Committee was in place and the late Deputy Norman Le Brocq was its president. He had previously headed the planning policy team in Monmouthshire and took up the post of assistant planning adviser with the IDC to help produce a new planning blueprint for the Island.
After five years, and following an Islandwide public consultation process and a four-day States sitting, the first Island Plan was approved in 1987.
Mr Thorne went on to become director of Planning and Building Services, working on the 2002 and 2011 revisions of the Island Plan and leading the production of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002. He took early retirement in 2011.
Environment Minister John Young, a past Planning chief officer, worked alongside Mr Thorne for 13 years.
He said: ‘Peter was an absolute gentleman, quietly persuasive and calm in his manner, very professional and he was very highly rated by all who came in contact with him including developers, builders, States Members and members of the public.
‘Politicians had absolute trust in Peter’s judgment. Peter was passionate about planning work and an exemplar to his colleagues.’
Jersey Rugby Football Club also paid tribute to Mr Thorne, a former player who received the Barry Coulson Award in the 1996/97 season for his contribution to rugby in Jersey.
A post on the club’s Facebook page reads: ‘As Youth Rugby Co-ordinator, and assisted by his wife, Sue, and a number of other volunteers, Peter organised the first major overseas tour by the JRFC Youth Section when an under-15 squad travelled to Scotland in April 1997 for the International Festival of Youth Rugby, a tournament which attracted teams from all over the world and culminated in a final at Murrayfield.’
When his 15-a-side career ended, Mr Thorne played with Cymru Jersey touch rugby team for several years.
He remained an enthusiastic supporter of the Reds and was a regular face on the ‘Old Farts’ table at pre-match lunches.
Mr Thorne died on Saturday 11 July and is survived by his wife Sue, sons Alun and Matt, their partners Nicky and Sam, and his grandson, Rhys.
