OPPONENTS of extending La Gigoulande Quarry at the top of St Peter’s Valley are due to meet next week to continue the fight against the plans.
Environment Minister John Young this week rejected an amendment to the Draft Bridging Island Plan which, if approved, would have blocked the extension into neighbouring Field MY966.
This followed a report by an independent planning inspector into the plan, which would set planning policy for the next three years.
It is due to be debated in the States in March.
Senator Kristina Moore is planning a meeting with politicians based in the area next week to discuss what to do, and to liaise with landowners and businesses, including representatives of the Seymour Group, which owns the nearby Greenhills Country House Hotel.
‘We are going to meet to discuss the next steps and how we are going to proceed, taking into account the comments of the planning inspector,’ said Senator Moore.
‘We are going to consider whether to continue with the amendment as it stands or approach it in a different way. The Deputies and Constables who are supportive of the amendment will be there, as well as local stakeholders who are opposed to the extension.
‘One of the things we will be looking at is the cost of aggregates produced on Island, which is expensive, compared to the importation of them.’
St Peter Constable Richard Vibert, who will attend the meeting, said that he was ‘very disappointed’ that the amendment was rejected and their ‘views haven’t been supported’.
He added that he was very concerned about the impact of the extension of the quarry on the Greenhills hotel and the wider tourism industry.
‘I’m going to meet with parishioners to discuss it and the fight is going to continue. The extension of the quarry would have a massive impact on the environment and on the Greenhills, a long-standing hotel in the area.
‘If we are going to protect our tourism industry we need to preserve those hotels that are popular and thriving.’
Robert MacKenzie, managing director of the CI Travel Group, also had concerns about the impact on the countryside hotel.
‘We supported the objection of the Seymour Group to the plans and their call for the field to be protected against further extension of the quarry,’ he said.
‘We are concerned about the impact that it will have on the Greenhills and how it might affect the enjoyment of guests who stay there in the future.
‘But there is still a long way to go. It still has to be debated and there is still a long way to go before it gets approval.’
The Draft Bridging Island Plan backs Granite Products, which owns La Gigoulande Quarry, expanding into Field MY366 to extend its reserves of rock from around seven years to over 30.
As well as Mr Vibert, Senator Moore’s amendment has the backing of St Mary Constable John Le Bailly and parish Deputy David Johnson, St Peter’s Deputy Rowland Huelin and St Lawrence Deputy Kirsten Morel.
