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States Members have this morning blocked building new homes on fields in St. Lawrence, St. Mary and Grouville – but agreed to development in Trinity.
Debate on the ‘Bridging Island Plan’ – the blueprint for development across the island over the next three years – entered its second week this morning.
While Senator Steve Pallett failed to convince the States Assembly that a St. Lawrence plot 180m from Carrefour Selous should be given the green light, his proposal for Trinity’s field T1404 (pictured top) – located immediately adjacent to the new Co-op on the old JFTU site – was passed with 33 votes in favour and 10 against.
The Trinity field was included as a back-up site in the 2002 Island Plan, but had been rejected as a key site of opportunity by the current Environment Minister following claims from Planning Inspectors that there would be poor “integration” with the existing built-up area.
Senator Pallett refuted this, claiming that it was a logical extension of Sion Village, and benefited from good access to bus routes, and was within cycling distance from D’Auvergne Primary School and secondary schools.
His suggestion for field L127 in St. Lawrence, which makes the corner of La Grande Route de Saint Laurent and La Fraide Rue, however, was overwhelmingly rejected, with just two votes in favour and 40 against.
Pictured: Images of the site proposed in St. Lawrence contained in a report put together by Senator Pallett.
So strong was the opposition raised in emails sent over the weekend, that Senator Pallett admitted he had considered withdrawing the rezoning proposal which he said could have delivered 24 units of affordable housing and seven open market homes.
Among the key contentions were that the field had been described by the Jersey Farmers’ Union as a site of “last resort”.
St. Lawrence Constable Deirdre Mezbourian quoted an email from a farmer who used to farm the field describing it as a “very good field with very good quality soil”. She claimed he said it would be a “very sad day” if the location was built on, “as there are far more suitable fields to build on without the impact on the farming industry.”
Constable Mezbourian also raised concerns around a lack of adequate drainage in the area, which were echoed by Environment Minister Deputy John Young.
Noting that the States Assembly had already rejected sites he felt would be more suitable for development - a point he stressed at several points throughout the morning - Deputy Young further bemoaned the impact the site would have on the landscape which he emphasised “decades” had been spent on protecting through planning policy.
Pictured: An animated Environment Minister Deputy John Young stressed that States Members had already rejected several sites that were more suitable for development.
Deputy Kirsten Morel urged States Members against thinking that they ought to start accepting some fields for development simply because they had rejected others.
“If we think like this, we’ll be supporting fields that are massively unsuitable,” he explained.
Next to be thrown out was Field MY493 in St. Mary, which was propsed by the parish’s Constable, John Le Bailly.
Rallying against ‘NIMBYism’, he noted that development on such a field would benefit first-time buyers and emphasised that it was important to look after the individuals keen to work in the island.
He said accepting his proposal would “give hope” to people and urged States Members not to make decisions on the basis of how it would affect their electoral prospects or appease ‘NIMBYs’.
But the parish’s Deputy, David Johnson, expressed surprise at the Constable’s decision to put forward the field, stating that he hadn’t received a single item of correspondence from any parishioner in favour.
He went on to explain that the expressed desire to preserve the landscape was not “for the benefit of individual parishioners, but for the benefit of the island as a whole.”
Opposing Deputy Morel’s previous remarks, Constbale Le Bailly responded that it was “essential” that States Members do pass some fields, and suggested that their week of Island Plan debate would have been “wasted” otherwise.
“What are we doing to help the problem?” he questioned.
But the MY493 bid received just eight votes in favour and 34 against.
The biggest of the proposals to be rejected was Education Minister and St. Helier Deputy Scott Wickenden’s plan to add five Grouville fields “within walking and cycling distance of the Holme Grown farm shop and parish recycling centre” to the list of sites to be zoned for affordable homes.
He lauded the area for its accessibility and closeness to amenities, as well as its ability to be connected to mains drains, water supply and electricity.
Arguing for the sites, he noted that it had failed by just one point when assessed by inspectors – prompting a challenge from Deputy Montfort Tadier, who queried whether the Minister would allow students to change their grades if they were just one mark away.
Deputy Wickenden urged States Members not to “listen to the voices of the privileged few”, and instead take into consideration the islanders who wished to remain in their home parish with their families and young people who may leave the island if they are unable to secure an affordable home.
“If we do not start building now, we will lose our youngest and brightest,” he said.
Grouville’s Constbale, John Le Maistre, said he was against the idea, which he said Deputy Wickenden had not raised with him in advance.
Having previously farmed the land himself, he pointed out that they are “really good early land that you can grow just about any summer crop.” He also acknowledged the impact on the house prices and enjoyment of the homes of those living in the area already.
More critical, however, were the contributions of Deputy Young and Deputy Mary Le Hegarat, who pointed out that, despite Deputy Wickenden’s protestations, part of the site lay on a flood plane.
Acknowledging their comments, Deputy Wickenden asked for States Members to consider his field plan in two parts – the part of the site which had a lesser flood risk, and the half that was deemed at “medium risk”.
Both were rejected – the first by 28 votes to 15, and the second by 39 votes to four.
The States Assembly has voted to REJECT Deputy @Scott_Wickenden’s amendment to the Bridging Island Plan. https://t.co/pWA08ijN3x
— States Assembly - Jersey's elected parliament (@StatesAssembly) March 21, 2022
States Members are now due to debate a proposal from St. Peter Constable Richard Vibert to add two fields – P655 and P656 – to the list of sites to be zoned for affordable homes.
Last week, the States Assembly backed rezoning fields in St. Peter, St. John and one in St. Ouen to provide affordable homes - a decision the Environment Minister said made him "sick to the stomach” – but rejected other plots in St. Helier, St. Saviour and St. Ouen.
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