A new civil works permit was crafted with input from over 20 civil servants across various VROMI departments.
PHILIPSBURG--The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure VROMI, in collaboration with the Nature Foundation St. Maarten, has unveiled a comprehensive manual and training program aimed at refining the civil works permit process. This initiative addresses internal concerns and establishes clearer guidelines for activities impacting the environment.
Historically, obtaining a permit for substantial civil works lacked clarity in its application and evaluation procedures. The Head of the Policy Department at VROMI noted, “This assignment helped VROMI departments identify bottlenecks in the internal evaluation process and develop a more streamlined process.” The newly developed manual is expected to enhance collaboration and communication within VROMI and with the public, leading to more informed decision-making regarding civil works permits.
The 44-page manual, developed by the government advisory group SOAB with funding from the Caribbean OCTs Resilience, Sustainable Energy, and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID), was crafted with input from over 20 civil servants across various VROMI departments – including Policy, Infrastructure Management, Inspection, Staff Bureau, Domain Affairs, and New Projects – and four members of the Nature Foundation. The manual offers a comprehensive guide to internal procedures for processing civil works permit requests, detailing definitions, triggers, timelines, roles, and required documents.
Civil works permits are mandatory for any activities that alter terrestrial, coastal, and marine terrain, whether on public or private property. This encompasses actions such as dredging, excavation, deforestation, and demolition. These permits also serve as prerequisites for building permits.
According to VROMI, the absence of a standard operating procedure for the internal evaluation of civil works permits has led to confusion within the Ministry, resulting in instances where permits were approved or overlooked without proper infrastructure evaluation and environmental oversight.
The ambiguity surrounding the permit evaluation procedure was identified as a significant obstacle to advancing the sustainable management of St. Maarten’s marine and coastal ecosystems. The COastal REsilience Needs Assessment (CORENA) project, a RESEMBID-funded collaboration between VROMI’s Policy department and the Nature Foundation, highlighted this issue.
A representative from the CORENA project stated, “This manual is a necessary and significant step towards fixing that process, to ensure civil works permits will undergo far more rigorous evaluations and reflect national standards.”
The manual is underpinned by several legislative frameworks, including the National Building Ordinance and Building Code, the Nature Conservation Ordinance, and the Amendment on the Spatial Development Ordinance. It also references applicable policies and guidelines such as the Nature Policy Plan 2021-2025, Hillside Policy, Beach Policy, and various infrastructure design standards.
Notably, the 2009 Tree Policy for the preservation of historic trees has been incorporated, along with considerations for biodiversity hotspots and areas of sensitive ecological nature, as defined by the Nature Foundation using data from the 2024 and 2025 CORENA terrestrial and marine biodiversity inventories.
The definitions and standards for civil works permits are slated to be made available to the public in the coming months in the form of a handbook, applicable to both private and public property. In the interim, developers, homeowners, construction companies, and private citizens are advised to consult with the Permits department at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before undertaking any environmentally impactful activities to avoid fines. Violators are subject to stop or removal orders.
