THE UK government has put forward ambitious plans to link Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford with dedicated transport links and one million new homes by 2050. The reasoning behind the scheme is to push economic growth in the region. In particular it is planned to build new towns of 10,000 houses and cities containing 150,000 homes. This is a doubling of the current house-building rate in the region and is based on the national government being able to impose developments on communities, even if local councils are against them. Likewise, land will be bought voluntarily where possible but compulsory powers will be used and land purchased at existing values where necessary.
Environmental campaigners have raised concerns about the impact of this enormous project and the rationale behind the need for any development. A public consultation has looked at the choice of three alternative routes, but the decision to undertake the project at all has not been subject to public debate.
The scale of developments in Jersey is far smaller but the recent move under the reorganisation of government departments transfers the Department of the Environment into the new Growth, Housing and Environment Department. This is a worrying reorganisation suggesting that the new government is now more interested in promoting growth rather than protecting the environment.
An interesting challenge to Jersey’s largest potential building project is an e-petition calling for the General Hospital staff to be given a secret ballot on the proposal to rebuild the new Hospital on the current site. This simple idea would allow the medical staff who best understand the issue to express their views to the Ministers who are currently reviewing the scheme.
Not all government decisions support development. The newly elected Environment Minister has rejected a plan for a 27-unit holiday village at Tamba Park, which lies in the green zone. Deputy John Young considered that the benefits of the development were outweighed by the negative impact on the protected green zone land and issued a written ministerial decision to that effect. Unfortunately, his decision referred inappropriately to the setting of a precedent and the decision itself has now been challenged by Deputy Scott Wickenden.
Deputy Young came to the right conclusion in respect of Tamba Park, but made a rookie mistake in the wording of the formal document. As a previous chief officer of the Planning Department he needs to raise his game.
