Six Appointed to Planning Authority
The Cabinet Office has appointed six members to the Physical Planning Authority, with the appointments published in Issue No. 66 of the Virgin Islands Official Gazette. The appointments — effective retroactively from April 15, 2026 — include Richard C. deCastro, Shane Winter, Chad Skelton, Dion Jennings, Dion Crabbe and Diehdra Potter.
The Cabinet Office has announced the appointment of six individuals to the Physical Planning Authority (PPA), with the appointments published in Issue No. 66 of the Virgin Islands Official Gazette dated June 18, 2026. According to the notice, Richard C. deCastro, Shane Winter, Chad Skelton, Dion Jennings, Dion Crabbe and Diehdra Potter have been appointed to serve on the Authority, with their appointments taking effect retroactively from April 15, 2026.
The Physical Planning Authority is the statutory body responsible for overseeing land use, development planning, building approvals and related planning matters across the British Virgin Islands. Its decisions shape where and how homes, businesses and infrastructure are built, and can influence environmental protection, coastal management and the Territory’s longer-term approach to sustainable growth.
For residents and businesses, membership changes on the Authority can affect the pace and direction of planning decisions and development approvals. The Official Gazette publication containing the full notices is available online through the Government’s Gazette website. The Cabinet Office encouraged residents, developers, community groups and other stakeholders to review the Gazette for the full details of the appointments and other official notices.
Those who require additional information or assistance accessing the Gazette may contact the Gazette Unit within the Cabinet Office by telephone at 468-4336 or via email at gazette@gov.vg. Because the appointments are effective retroactively, the newly appointed members are eligible to have participated in Authority business from April 15, 2026.
While the Gazette notice provides the formal record of the appointments, residents interested in how the new membership may affect specific applications or projects should monitor upcoming PPA meeting agendas, decisions and public notices. Local developers, planners and community representatives often follow the PPA’s work closely, as its determinations can have immediate impacts on planning applications, environmental assessments and building activity across the Territory.
The Cabinet Office’s publication of these appointments in the Official Gazette is part of the government’s process for formally recording changes to statutory bodies. Residents and stakeholders are advised to consult the Gazette entry for Issue No. 66 for any further particulars and to contact the Gazette Unit with questions about accessing official notices.
Primary source: Guavaberry