PLANS to build a huge drainage tank in an agricultural field – unlocking dozens of affordable homes in the parish and St Ouen – has been given the green light, despite fierce objections from nearby residents who raised concerns about the “highly disruptive” scheme.
The Planning Committee unanimously backed the application on Thursday.
The tank, to be developed on land off Rue de St Clement near Jersey Airport, would be 25 metres across and 24 metres deep – described by committee member Constable Mark Labey as a “big hole” – with capacity for 7,500 cubic metres of run-off rainwater and sewage.
Politicians heard the tank would occupy a third of the field and include six 2.8-metre lighting poles and four vents, with hedging designed to obscure the view.
Disruption during the 18-month build was a key concern for nearby residents, some of whom attended the hearing.
A statement from resident Emiko Caerlewy-Smith on behalf of 20 parishioners read out during the hearing criticised a lack of financial compensation for residents, alleging that there were insufficient safeguards in place and claiming there had been a lack of consultation with parishioners who felt “shut out”.
Residents would have to “withstand living next to a heavy construction site for at least 18 months”, the statement read.
They called for the application to be refused or deferred until further consultation and a public site visit could take place, calling it a “strategic, significant” and “highly disruptive, complex” scheme that should be held to a higher standard.
The committee heard the tank was needed due to “significant” underinvestment in Jersey’s “severely-limited” drainage network, which was now hampering development – even house extensions – in the north and west of the Island.
New developments reliant on the tank include 42 homes in St Peter and 37 homes in St Ouen, on fields rezoned for “affordable” housing as part of the Bridging Island Plan. The St Ouen proposals were also approved on Thursday.
Duncan Berry, head of liquid waste, said many frustrated residents in both parishes were unable to carry out work on their homes. He said the tank would provide “major benefit to the Island to allow the population to grow” and was also needed due to increased rainfall from climate change.
He reassured attendees that there would not be an odour issue, adding that there was a pumping station 100 metres from his own home which “you do not know it is there”.
Andium Homes’ Peter Le Gresley said the scheme would allow them to continue with their affordable housing programme in the west of the Island.
Thursday’s approval was labelled a “principle” decision by committee member Deputy Tom Coles and is subject to several conditions, including preliminary assessments and surveys. The land must also be returned to agriculture after the build.
The tank may also be smaller than originally proposed. Conflicting figures from waste officials and the planning officer caused confusion during the hearing, but it was later clarified – following questions from a bemused Deputy Steve Ahier – that the tank could be reduced to 6,100 cubic metres and 20 metres deep. However, the scheme approved on Thursday reflected the larger dimensions.
Vice-chair of the Planning Committee Deputy Alex Curtis, stepping in for absent chair Constable Philip Le Sueur, proposed a condition that the field be leased to farmers post-development to prevent it from going fallow.
He said there was a “need to invest” in the Island’s drainage infrastructure and, from the images provided, he believed the development was not a “huge amount of infrastructure”.
Deputy Tom Coles said the development was “necessary if we want more homes”.
“We are screaming out for more family homes rather than building flats in town,” he added.
Deputy Ahier said the need for the tank was a consequence of “many, many years” of underfunding infrastructure. He noted that the Snow Hill cavern – a 38-metre tall, 80-metre long and 17-metre wide tank – had no odour.
Mr Labey said he lived within 100 metres of a pumping station and had never heard it.
While politicians acknowledged the 18-month build would be disruptive, they said the project was necessary.
The application was approved by Deputies Curtis, Ahier, Coles and Constable Labey. St Ouen Constable Richard Honeycombe said he would withdraw due to a perceived conflict as the drainage tank would support capacity for homes being built in his parish, although Deputy Curtis told the hearing he did not believe there was a conflict.
