Plans to extend the St Mary quarry, operated by Granite Products, were put forward in the recently published Draft Bridging Island Plan. If approved, it would be expanded into the adjacent 21-vergée Field MY966 – bought by Granite Products 18 months ago for £1.65 million.
‘La Gigoulande Quarry is an important source of local construction materials for homes, schools, hospitals and all other built development on Jersey,’ said a spokesperson from Granite Products.
‘The quarry has been operating in phases since 1946 and today meets about half the Island’s demand for aggregates, building blocks and concrete. With the long-term in mind, we acquired extra land 18 months ago so that we had the opportunity to continue to meet Jersey’s needs for many years to come. Any proposal would be rightly scrutinised as part of the planning process, which will include consultation with local residents and the public,’ they added.
While a planning application for the development of the site has not yet been submitted, some politicians have expressed concern regarding the sustainability of the proposed expansion.
St Lawrence Deputy Kirsten Morel commented that it is ‘premature’ to put the proposal in the Draft Bridging Island Plan arguing that ‘Jersey is such a small place and at some point we are not going to be able to quarry our own minerals’.
