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A therapeutic horticultural project that aims to promote sustainability while helping people with their wellbeing has been given the green light to create a new community building.
The facility will form part of an expansion plan put forward by Grow Jersey – a project that aims to help people learn more about nature by growing food in a field near Surville Cemetery.
In the planning application, Grow Jersey said the new building will allow the project leaders to provide improved community engagement opportunities and educational programmes year-round.
Pictured: Grow Jersey's plans for a community building with solar panels, a wildlife pond and two polytunnels have been approved.
The community group, which launched in 2021, is a collaboration between mental health charitable organisation Thrive Jersey, sustainability business The Good Jersey Life and the Parish of St Helier – which owns the site.
Their shared aim is to create a community resource that not only produces food, but also provides educational opportunities and supports mental health through engagement with nature.
Since its launch, the project has focused on horticulture as a means to support mental and physical health while also addressing broader environmental challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and food waste.
Key features of the approved plan include a new building designed with energy efficiency in mind, a fully accessible community space for hosting sustainability workshops and forest school sessions, and a production kitchen for teaching farm-to-fork skills.
Pictured: Grow Jersey helps people learn how to plant and grow food to improve their wellbeing.
Grow Jersey explained that features such as pollinator patches, rainwater harvesting, and a wildlife pond will help to enhance biodiversity across the site.
Sheena Brockie, sustainability consultant and co-founder of Grow Jersey, said: "We are absolutely delighted that the planning department understands and supports what we are trying to achieve.
"Obtaining the planning permission means that we can now move forward to the next phase of the project."
She added: "The building will be a fully accessible community space where school groups or our community can gather for a variety of purposes.
"There will be a small production kitchen where we can teach knowledge and skills from farm to fork, how to both grow food, but also how to cook and preserve it too."
While the application received 90 positive comments from members of the public, there were a number of letters that raised concerns about traffic and impact on the cemetery's peaceful atmosphere.
Pictured: Grow Jersey has obtained planning permission to build a community building in its field near Surville cemetery.
In response, Grow Jersey emphasised in the planning application that the development will have minimal visual impact, with buildings designed to blend into the landscape. The structures will be constructed primarily from timber and located within the existing orchard, away from public view.
To address concerns, Grow Jersey agreed to reposition pedestrian access and provide on-site minibus parking to minimise disruption.
Islanders interested in getting involved can join Grow Jersey during their open sessions on Tuesdays from 11:00-13:00, Wednesdays from 17:40-19:30, or Saturdays from 14:00-16:00.
FOCUS: Why Jersey should get growing
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