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Constables and Deputies are mobilising to fight against development in fields that were recently added to the Environment Minister’s ‘Plan A’ list of affordable housing sites.
Whereas some fields have been earmarked for development since the Bridging Island Plan was released last April, other sites around the island have been elevated from a reserve list less than a month before the States are due to debate the plan.
Politicians say that residents they have recently spoken to had had no idea that fields bordering or close to their property were in line to become a housing estate.
St. Helier Deputies Inna Gardiner and Mary Le Hegarat, with the support of Constable Simon Crowcroft, are preparing to lodge an amendment to the plan that will remove Field ‘H1248’ at Le Pouquelaye, which is due to take up to 40 homes, if passed.
Pictured: Field H1248 in St. Helier has been proposed for building before but has never been approved.
Meanwhile, St. Saviour Constable Sadie Le Sueur-Rennard said will be seeking to change the plan to remove Field ‘S341’ from it. The field is on the corner of Bel Air Lane and Deloraine Road, opposite the entrance to Grainville School.
Deputy Le Hegarat, who has already successfully campaigned to save three organically farmed dairy fields at Mont à l’Abbé, said that St. Helier had so few agricultural fields left that it could not afford to lose any more.
“The trouble is, the Government lack any imagination and their default position is to just build on green fields, which are habitats for wildlife, crucial to our agricultural industry, and important open spaces in an increasingly congested island.
“Surely, it makes sense to use derelict buildings and glasshouses, and control non-residents from owning property before taking precious green fields?
Deputy Le Hegarat was also critical of the Bridging Island Plan process, with the extra sites added at the last minute making it difficult for concerned islanders and their political representatives to mobilise.
Across the border in St. Saviour, an “incensed” Constable Le Sueur-Rennard has pledged to fight against another field being lost to housing in her parish.
The Constable said she was “absolutely fuming” that ‘S341’ had been raised from the ‘Plan B’ list which the Environment Minister added into the Bridging Island Plan in September in case his first choices were rejected.
Pictured: Field S341 is on the corner of Bel Air Lane and Deloraine Road in St. Saviour.
Last week, Deputy John Young published his updated list of preferred sites following the recommendation of independent planning inspectors.
Three of his original preferred green-zone sites for affordable home had already been withdrawn or were rejected by the inspectors, meaning that he looked for alternatives.
Last week, he added seven extra sites to “Plan A”, including S341, which is earmarked for up to 14 houses.
This has not pleased the Constable of St. Saviour one bit.
“I am furious because we got in touch with the owner of that field a few years ago to see if we could buy a section of it to make it safer for children to go to school, and he said no,” she said.
“And now there’s a plan to build houses on it; it is pathetic.”
She added: “St. Saviour has had enough. Parishioners deserve to have a countryside and we need to have fields.
“And this is on top of plans to build on fields at Five Oaks, which is already congested. One of the fields, off Princes Tower Road, will involve filling in a perfectly good meadow.
“Imagine the impact that will have on the environment there? The so-called Environment Minister seems intent on concreting St. Saviour over, and his plan to widen the roundabout and build some cycle lanes is not going to make any difference.”
In St. John, one field - 'J1109', a field south of the converted Sion Methodist Chapel - was also added to the Plan A list last week.
Pictured: Field 'J1109' is immediately south of the former Sion Methodist Chapel in St. John.
St. John Constable Andy Jéhan said he was still hoping to get right-size properties for sale and rent in St. John on small fields that were not farmed. He has lodged amendments to build parish homes on two other sites, which were not supported by the inspectors or minister.
However, not all representatives are fighting the additional sites. St. Peter Constable Richard Vibert said he was “delighted” that two fields on the eastern side of Grande Route de St. Pierre would be joining ‘Field P632’ on the Plan A list.
However, he said that it would be a “a line in the sand” once they had been built on and he did not envisage any more development on that side of the road.
He added that he may submit a further amendment proposing one more ‘Plan B’ list field is rezoned for development but he could not say which one it was at this stage.
Likewise, St. Mary Constable John Le Bailly said he was pleased Field ‘MY563’, which is between the two principal roads through the parish, had been added to the list, where up to 25 houses could be built.
He added that he would be maintaining his amendment – opposed by the Environment Minister – to build homes in a field - 'MY493 - alongside La Verte Rue. A third of the homes build on this field would be given to the parish, if approved.
Pictured: St. Ouen Constable Richard Buchanan supports building on Fields 0622 and 0623, which are not far from the parish hall.
St. Ouen Constable Richard Buchanan also said he was pleased that two fields next to Rue de la Croute, earmarked for 77 houses, had been proposed for development, one of which is owned by the parish.
He added that, although he happy that the houses would be distributed through the Housing Gateway, he would also support an amendment, lodged by Deputy Gardiner, that half of these homes are allocated to parishioners.
“We all recognise that there is a need for housing and St. Ouen is keen to do its bit,” he said.
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