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States Members have voted in favour of the Constable of St. Peter’s plan to use two fields in his parish for affordable housing – but thrown out a bid by the parish’s Deputy to build around a dozen homes on another.
Constable Richard Vibert’s plan to rezone Fields P655 and P656 – which are situated next to St. Peter’s Village along the main road of La Route de Beaumont (pictured top) – for affordable homes succeeded with 34 votes in favour and 10 against.
It was the second successful field rezoning bid of the day, with Senator Steve Pallett’s plan to add to the Sion area in Trinity gaining approval in the morning after earlier bids to rezone fields in St. Lawrence, Grouville and St. Mary were thrown out.
In arguing for the double-field development during Day 6 of debate on the three-year ‘Bridging Island Plan’ (BIP), Constable Vibert highlighted its proximity to parish amenities, schools and bus routes, and that the site was not deemed to be prime agricultural land.
Sweetening the deal was a proposal from the landowners to transfer the two fields directly behind – P626 and P627 – to the parish for use as a community space.
While Deputy Huelin’s proposal also involved land deemed to have “limited” agricultural value, States Members were not persuaded to vote in favour of also rezoning Beaumont-based Field 818.
Opening his speech in the States Chamber this afternoon, Deputy Huelin reminded States Members that the number of fields that had been rejected during debates last week and this morning meant that the BIP would be more than 200 homes short.
Pictured: A photo of the St. Peter land States Members rejected for housing, as featured in a report prepared by Deputy Huelin.
He said that his proposal may be able to deliver 12 to 18 more – and Andium had already been put in touch with the owner to begin progressing the idea.
The Environment Minister, however, was firm that the proposal should be rejected. He raised structural concerns about the retaining wall on the southern boundary of the site, which were later echoed by Constable Andy Jehan, and said the location was too far outside St. Peter’s Village.
“It would in my view be an intensification and urbanisation of this part of the island, [it] would lead to adverse impacts,” he said.
Constable Deirdre Mezbourian reinforced the point, decrying the development as “standalone” and one which would be detrimental to the “character of the countryside”.
Deputy Kirsten Morel similarly queried the location, stating that the way in which it was “perched above Beaumont Hill” raised questions of accessibility.
Deputy Rob Ward, meanwhile, questioned whether it was realistic that the site would be developed within the three-year period of the BIP.
The States Assembly has voted to REJECT Deputy @ChooseRowland’s amendment to the Bridging Island Plan. https://t.co/6Y9zZqfACP
— States Assembly - Jersey's elected parliament (@StatesAssembly) March 21, 2022
His concern, he said, was that the BIP was becoming a “developer’s charter”. If affordable homes are not developed on time, he raised the spectre of green fields being lost to commercial development at a later stage as they had already been rezoned.
Deputy Huelin’s proposal was rejected with 15 votes in favour and 24 against.
Debate on the BIP, which will be the blueprint for all development in Jersey over the next three years, will be continuing throughout the week. You can follow Express for all the latest updates.
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Pictured top: The fields States Members approved for development in St. Peter this afternoon (in red), and the fields being offered for community use (in blue), as featured in a report by the Constable of St. Peter.
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