GEORGE TOWN, Feb 27 — The draft Penang Structure Plan 2030 (PSP 2030) will be submitted to the state planning committee (SPC) on March 14 for its approval, state exco Jagdeep Singh Deo said.
The local government, housing development, town and country planning committee chairman explained that authorities have been actively soliciting feedback on the plan.
“We have held public hearings since last year and the last of which was on February 22,” he said, noting these were done over several months despite the legal requirement to only do so for 30 days.
Jagdeep stressed that the state has taken into account objections and proposals submitted by the public on the PSP 2030, adding that all will be considered.
He was responding to claims by Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president SM Mohamed Idris that the state was rushing through the approval for the PSP 2030 without holding public hearings on it.
“When there’s a delay in the PSP 2030 review, they complain, when we are nearing approval, they complain, I think this is not proper,” he said.
He confirmed that the proposed Penang South Reclamation (PSR) and Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) were also listed in the PSP 2030.
Most of the feedback received was on the PSR and PTMP, he added.
Jagdeep said the SPC will meet on March 14 and once PSP 2030 is approved, it will be gazetted.
“We need to submit not only the endorsed gazetted PSP 2030 but also the PSR to the National Physical Planning Council for endorsement and approval,” he said.
He said both the PSP2030 and PSR must be submitted simultaneously to the council when it meets in April.
The PSP 2030 draft is a review of the PSP 2020 that was gazetted in 2007.
The structure plan governs the types of development projects allowed in the state while outlining development plans for the state until 2030.
The PSP 2030 review started in November 2011.
