Do not build on ‘sensitive land’ on St John’s Road

OUR Planning Department has put forward proposals to build up to 76 houses on the fields alongside Grande Route de St Jean.

This goes against their own statements where they state that building would not take place on ‘land of environmental value’ or ‘sensitive land’. This is typical government logic.

The three fields concerned are strategically important for the adjacent dairy farm. This dairy farm is one of Jersey’s only two organic milk producers and, as we all know, dairy farmers have to have their fields adjacent because the cows have to be milked on a regular basis.

Yes, Jersey needs more housing but I believe there are already many sites in the process of development and why are Planning not proposing to use many of the ‘brown-field sites’ that are currently available and, in the near future, many more likely to become available?

The nature of our Island is changing and many brown-field sites have and will shortly become available.

1. There are several big hotel sites being proposed for housing.

2. There are many States-owned properties currently lying empty, why not build houses on them?

3. Since Covid, many of our substantial office buildings are under used and are, or soon will be, available for housing. This is already happening, as the government themselves built two huge office blocks on the Esplanade and many firms moved from the town centre area to the Waterfront and those buildings are already being turned into housing.

4. People’s shopping habits are changing and we have already seen many shops lying empty and they will be available to be used for other purposes including housing.

On the radio last week, I heard the St Saviour Deputy fighting for his parish’s green sites. Why have we not heard from our St Helier Deputies fighting for our green sites?