Island Plan 2022-25: Approval - addendum

Draft Bridging Island Plan Consultation

P.36/2021 Addendum

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Draft bridging Island Plan

Chapters and policy index

Introduction and strategic proposals  2

SP1 - Responding to climate change  36 SP2 - Spatial strategy  40 SP3 - Placemaking  41 SP4 - Protecting and promoting island identity  43 SP5 - Protecting and improving the natural environment  46 SP6 - Sustainable island economy  48 SP7 - Planning for community needs  49

PL1 -Development in Town  65 PL2 - Les Quennevais  66 PL3 - Local centres  68 PL4 - Smaller settlements 70 PL5 - Countryside, coast and marine environment  76

GD 1 - Managing the health and wellbeing impact of new development  81 GD 2 - Community participation in large-scale development proposals  82 GD 3 - Planning obligation agreements  84 GD 4 – Enabling or linked development  85 GD 5 - Demolition and replacement of buildings  87 GD 6 - Design quality  89 GD 7 - Tall buildings  93 GD 8 - Green backdrop zone  95 GD 9 - Skyline, views and vistas  98 GD10 - Percent for art  99

NE1 - Protection and improvement of biodiversity and geodiversity  107 NE2 - Green infrastructure and networks  111 NE3 - Landscape and seascape character  118

Historic environment  119 HE1 - Protecting listed buildings and places, and their settings  127 HE2 - Protection of historic windows and doors  131 HE3 - Protection or improvement of conservation areas  135 HE4 - Demolition in conservation areas  136 HE5 - Conservation of archaeological heritage  139

ER1 - Retail and town centre uses  146 ER2 - Large-scale retail  149 ER3 - Local retail  150 ER4 - Daytime and evening economy uses  152 ER5 - Meanwhile retail and town centre uses  153 EO1 - Existing and new office accommodation  155 EO2 - Business run from home  155 EV1 - Visitor accommodation  159 EI1 - Existing and new industrial sites and premises  163 ERE1 - Protection of agricultural land  165 ERE2 - Diversification of the rural economy  167 ERE3 - Conversion or re-use of traditional farm buildings  169 ERE4 - Re-use of modern farm buildings  170 ERE5 - New or extended agricultural buildings  171 ERE6 - Derelict and redundant glasshouses  173 ERE7 - Equine development  174 ERE8 - Fishing and aquaculture  176

H1 – Housing quality and design  180 H2 - Housing density  183 H3 – Provision of homes  187 H4 – Meeting housing needs  188 H5 – Provision of affordable homes  193 H6 – Supported housing  195 H7 – Key worker accommodation  196 H8 – Housing outside the built-up area  200 H9 – Rural workers' accommodation  202

Managing emissions  203 ME1 - 20% reduction in target energy rate for large-scale developments  208 ME2 - Passivhaus standards for affordable homes and major development  211 outside the built-up area  

ME3 - BREEAM rating for new larger scale non-residential buildings  213 ME4 - Air quality and increased emissions  215 ME5 - Carbon sequestration schemes  216 ME6 - Offshore utility-scale renewable energy proposals  220 ME7 - Larger-scale terrestrial renewable energy developments  221

CI1 - Education facilities  225 CI2 - Healthcare facilities  229 CI3 - Our Hospital and associated sites and infrastructure  231 CI4 - Community facilities and community support infrastructure  232 CI5 - Sports, leisure and cultural facilities  235 CI6 - Provision and enhancement of open space  240 CI7 - Protected open space  241 CI8 - Space for children and play  243 CI9 - Countryside access and awareness  245 CI10 - Allotments  247

TT1 - Integrated safe and inclusive travel  253 TT2 - Active travel  258 TT3 - Bus service improvement  261 TT4 - Provision of off-street parking  264 TT5 – Port operations  267

WER1 - Waste minimisation  271 WER2 - Managing flood risk  276 WER3 - Flood infrastructure  280 WER4 - Land reclamation  282 WER5 - Water pollution safeguard area  283 WER6 - Surface water drainage  285 WER7 - Foul sewerage  287 WER8 - Safety zones for hazardous installations  288 WER9 - New, extended or altered hazardous installations  289 WER10 - Aircraft noise zones  290 WER11 - Airport public safety zones  292

Utilities and strategic infrastructure  293 UL1 - Strategic infrastructure delivery  295 UL2 - Utilities infrastructure facilities  296 UL3 - Supply and use of water  298 UL4 - Telecoms and other masts and equipment  299

MW1 - Provision of minerals  304 MW2 - Safeguarded waste sites  306 MW3 - New, extended and existing waste management sites  308

Proposals

1  Strategic Proposal 1 - Development of a long-term planning assumption  27 2  Strategic Proposal 2 - Understanding the long-term requirements of  29

Jersey's energy market  

3  Strategic Proposal 3 - Creating a marine spatial plan for Jersey  29 4  Strategic Proposal 4 - A west of island planning framework  30 5  Strategic Proposal 5 - An infrastructure roadmap for Jersey  32

n/a

6  Sustainable Communities Fund  78

7  Guidance for community participation  82 8  Supplementary planning guidance: planning obligation agreements  83 9  Design statements and statements of sustainability  88 10  Percent for art supplementary planning guidance  99

11  Biodiversity net gain  108 12  Green infrastructure and network strategy  111 13  Change permitted development rights in the Coastal National Park  116

14  Conservation area designation  133 15  Review permitted development rights for conservation areas  133

16  Shopfronts supplementary planning guidance  145 17  St Brelade's Bay Improvement Plan  160 18  Traditional Farm Buildings  168

19  Design for homes  180 20  Minimum density standards  182 21  Residential delivery and management strategy  190 22  Future affordable housing provision  194

23  Review of building bye-laws  207

24  Review of the education estate  224 25  St Helier Country Park  239

26  Access to Grands Vaux Reservoir and valley  245

27  Active travel network  254 28  Public realm works programme  259 29  Sustainable transport zones  263

30  Catchment Flood Management Plan  279 31  Coastline and watercourse buffers  280 32  Review of safety zones  289 33  Aircraft noise and public safety zone review  292

34  Water resource management strategy for Jersey  297 35  Review of telecommunication infrastructure incentives and requirements  299

36  Strengthening the Island Plan performance framework  318

Volume 1

Introduction and strategic proposals

 Introduction

 Strategic proposals

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Introduction The bridging Island Plan

Planning is about creating a better future: protecting our environment for generations to come and enabling sensitive development that improves the lives of people now and over the long-term. The Island Plan is hugely important for Jersey. It sets out how, as a community, we will create homes; strengthen our economy; protect and improve our environment; provide for a good quality of life; and enhance what's special about our island.

The uncertainty caused by both the Coronavirus pandemic and the recent Brexit transition make it harder to plan for the future. Normally, the Island Plan would provide a ten-year planning framework, but because many issues are particularly uncertain at present, this Island Plan covers a shorter three-year plan period, 2022-2025. After this period a new longer-term plan will be put in place.

Like all Island Plans, this bridging Island Plan has been prepared to comply with the provisions of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002[1] and to meet high standards. Its preparation has included extensive research and wide-ranging public, political and stakeholder involvement. Under Jersey's plan-led system, it will become the primary consideration in any planning-related decision- making during the plan period[2].

The bridging Island Plan is the right plan for Jersey now. It provides a unique opportunity to bring forward policies to address known challenges in ways that are attuned to the post-pandemic response and recovery period, and to prepare strong, ambitious foundations for the island's next long-term plan, from 2025. For the avoidance of doubt, any reference to the Island Plan refers to the bridging Island Plan, unless otherwise specified.

Format of the Island Plan

The Island Plan comprises two parts involving this report and a proposals map.

This report is formed of four volumes. Each volume is broken into chapters, which share a common theme and address a set of issues.

Each chapter contains policies to guide development, and proposals for further work. The proposals respond to and will help make progress with the issues addressed in that chapter. Strategic proposals, which are set out in this chapter only, identify those broader initiatives to be addressed as priorities to inform the next Island Plan:

Volume one – introduction and strategic proposals

• Introduction and context

• Strategic proposals

Volume two – strategic framework

• Strategic policies

• Places

Volume three – managing development

• General development

• Natural environment

• Historic environment

• Economy

• Housing

• Managing emissions

• Community infrastructure

• Travel and transport

• Minimising waste and environmental risk

• Utilities and strategic infrastructure

• Minerals extraction and solid waste disposal

Volume four – performance and delivery

• Delivery, monitoring and review

Each of the policies in the plan is supported by a written justification that explains the considerations that have applied in developing the policy. Policies are shown in bold type, within a blue box and are identifiable by a policy number and specific title. Proposals are found in a green box.

The policies of the Island Plan have been carefully formulated to achieve the sustainable development of the island with a balance between social, environmental, and economic considerations. The policies do not stand in isolation and should be read together, with other relevant policies and the proposals, as a holistic response to the needs and issues facing the island, which is supported by the evidence collated to support preparation of the plan.

The proposals map shows the spatial aspects of policies across the island.

The Island Plan, and all the evidence that informs it, is available online at www.gov.je/islandplan. Printed copies of the Island Plan, including the proposals map, are also available in the Library.

How to use the Island Plan

One of the stated purposes of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002[3] is to conserve, protect and improve Jersey's natural beauty, natural resources and general amenities, its character, and its physical and natural environments. Accordingly, it is the intention of this law to ensure that when land is developed the development is in accordance with a development plan that provides for the orderly, comprehensive and sustainable development of land in a manner that best serves the interests of the community: this is provided by the Island Plan.

The law requires that all material considerations must be taken into account in the determination of an application for planning permission and that, in general, planning permission shall be granted if the development proposed is in accordance with the Island Plan[4].

When considering whether a development proposal is in accordance with the plan, it is important to have regard to the plan as a whole and not to treat a policy or proposal in isolation. It is likely that several policies will be relevant to any development proposal and that some policies can, seemingly, pull in different directions. This is not a flaw in the system, but simply a product of a

complex and wide-ranging plan, and a reflection of the natural tensions that arise in seeking to meet the community's economic, social and environmental objectives. It is for the decision maker to carefully balance the planning merits of a development proposal with the policy requirements of the plan.

Where policy conflicts do arise, a reasoned judgement must be made as to whether the wider benefits of a proposal outweigh any policy considerations provided by the Island Plan. This should only happen where there is considered to be sufficient justification to do so, as set out in the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002.[5]

Preparation of the Island Plan

Initial work to review the Island Plan commenced in 2019, at the time when a 10-year plan was intended. In response to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Minister for the Environment, in consultation with other ministers, proposed the development of a bridging Island Plan to cover a shorter period, 2022-25. This decision, and the process to arrive at it, have been considered by the

Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel[6].

The Island Plan Review has enjoyed the benefit of regular engagement from States Members, stakeholders and the public in a range of ways and at different times. Key engagements have included the following.

Strategic Issues and Options consultation

The Government of Jersey held a public consultation, over a three-month period from 10 July 2019 to 11 October 2019, on the strategic issues and options the island is facing, providing islanders with an opportunity to have their say.

The consultation was structured around four areas: the spatial strategy, a sustainable island environment, a sustainable island economy and sustainable island communities. Consultation documents were published in two formats: a shorter summary paper (with 27 questions)[7] and a full technical paper (with 47 questions)[8]. In total, 2,254 responses were received to the consultation from a variety of sources. A findings report was published following the consultation[9].

Ministerial and States Member engagement

The Council of Ministers has been closely engaged with the development of the bridging Island Plan, and individual ministers have been engaged in the development and review of policy direction where they are of relevance to their portfolios, to ensure a plan that is integrated across government.

In July 2020, the Minister for the Environment requested an in-committee debate to provide all States Members with an opportunity to discuss, and express their views about, the changes that were necessary to enable the delivery of a bridging Island Plan and the key planning challenges that the plan should seek to address. The discussion was informed by a report presented by the

Minister for the Environment and was followed by an outcome summary report[10] and ministerial response.

States Members have also been engaged, through their parishes, to explore key parish and policy issues, in a series of briefing meetings during the policy development of the plan.

Call for sites

A call for sites was undertaken in late 2019. Over 500 sites were put forward both for development and for protection from development. All sites were assessed and prioritised, and the associated information is published alongside the Island Plan at www.gov.je/islandplan.

The process of site analysis and selection was robust, objective and professionally led. Political oversight of the process and final selection of all sites, including those for affordable housing, was provided by the Minister and Assistant Minister for the Environment.

Council of Ministers, in reviewing the draft Island Plan, offered their support for the approach taken to respond to the need for affordable housing but took no role in site assessment or selection.

Preferred Strategy Report

Having considered the views raised during the Strategic Issues and Options consultation in 2019, the views of the States Assembly raised during the in-committee debate in 2020, the wider established priorities of government, and the emergent evidence base, the Minister for the Environment developed and published a Preferred Strategy report[11] for the bridging Island Plan in

October 2020.

The Preferred Strategy established a high-level vision for the bridging Island Plan; its strategic policy framework; the spatial strategy for development; the planning assumption; and provided an analysis of housing needs and delivery mechanisms, following its consideration and endorsement by the Council of Ministers.

Covid-19 (Island Plan) (Jersey) Regulations 2021

On 10 February 2021 the States Assembly agreed the Covid-19 (Island Plan) (Jersey) Regulations 2021. These regulations[12] provided the legal route to progress the bridging Island Plan in the current term of government, and are supplemented by a revised Island Plan Order[13], published on 22 March 2021, which sets out, amongst other things, how the examination in public will progress and the processes for amendments by States Members and Minster for the Environment. These changes to the legally prescribed process of undertaking an Island Plan Review have enabled a

bridging Island Plan to be developed and brought forward.

Evidence base development

The Island Plan Review is supported by an extensive and up to date evidence base that addresses the key issues to which the revised Island Plan is required to respond to. All the relevant evidence is published and available online[14].

A wide range of engagement was undertaken to inform the evidence base studies, including direct stakeholder engagement and liaison, focused workshops, online consultations, focus groups and surveys. Each commissioned study explains the methodology followed to prepare the report including how the work has engaged the public and key stakeholders.

Next steps

The draft bridging Island Plan has been lodged au Greffe, for consideration by States Members in order that they might propose amendment to it and published for public consultation for a period of three months.

The Minister for the Environment will consider all representations made in relation to the draft plan and will publish an initial response to them before an Examination in Public, into the key issues raised during consultation, is held by an independent planning inspector, in the autumn of 2021.

The inspector will issue a report to the Minister for the Environment, setting out his findings. The Minister, and States Members, will be able to consider the report, with a view to submitting further amendment relative to the issues raised by the inspector, before the Island Plan is debated by the States Assembly, scheduled to take place in March 2022.

Superseded plans and guidance

For the avoidance of doubt, all previous development plans will be superseded by the approval of the bridging Island Plan, and specifically:

1. Revised 2011 Island Plan (2014); and
2. St Mary's Village Development Plan (1994).

It will also be necessary to develop new supplementary planning guidance to support and complement the function and interpretation of the Island Plan and to comprehensively review and refresh existing guidance where required[15].

The vision and purpose of the bridging Island Plan

The Island Plan promotes the sustainable development of land and buildings to maintain and enhance Jersey as a special place, that faces future challenges; values and protects its environment and unique island identity; and acts with confidence to provide the homes, employment and infrastructure that sustain community and family life.

This vision is informed by the legal and strategic purpose of the Island Plan; the ambitions set by ministers and the States Assembly in the Common Strategic Policy and other key strategic plans; and the findings of key public and stakeholder consultations, including Future Jersey[16].

Future Jersey tells us what people in the island want to see retained and improved in years to come. Progress in each area is measured and regularly reported, through a set of indicators, as part of Jersey's Performance Framework[17]. Because the Island Plan shapes the physical context for the island, it links closely with all parts of the performance framework: the policies and proposals of the Island Plan aim to support the sustainable wellbeing of islanders and balance environmental, community and economic matters as suggested in the figure (see figure 1 Jersey Performance Framework) below.

More information about how the Island Plan contributes to improving sustainable wellbeing of islanders and how the performance of the plan is monitored and reviewed are set out in volume four: performance and delivery.

Figure 1 – Jersey Performance Framework

The bridging Island Plan is a unique response to a unique context. Initially, the Island Plan Review undertook to prepare a new long-term Island Plan. This review became delayed, in 2020, because resource was redirected to support the public health response to the Covid-19 pandemic and workstreams were disrupted and delayed. Rather than return to the preparation of a long-term Island Plan, which would delay publication of the plan to a later date, the bridging Island Plan provides the means to make important progress in key policy areas now. Bringing forward a shorter plan also recognises that, while there is always uncertainty in seeking to plan for the longer-term, that uncertainty is currently heightened by the potential impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic and changes associated with new post-Brexit arrangements.

With these intentions in mind, there are three specific and strategic reasons to pursue a bridging Island Plan now rather than retain the current Island Plan until a point in the coming years when it can be replaced by another long-term Island Plan.

The bridging Island Plan provides an early response to current challenges, especially to address the availability and affordability of homes; strengthen protection from inappropriate development; respond to climate change; improve our transport systems; and make improvements to the Town of St Helier[18], particularly for residents.

The bridging Island Plan represents an initial response to the period of significant uncertainty brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic and Brexit transition, which can be iterated and improved in the subsequent Island Plan, in particular, to respond to the then current economic and population contexts.

The bridging Island Plan builds stronger foundations for the next long-term plan by establishing updated strategic policies; updating and refining the spatial strategy for where in the island development should be focused; and setting out clear strategic proposals for the work that will ensure the next Island Plan can best respond to major long-term sustainability challenges.

These three strategic reasons are suggested in the figure below (Figure 2: The basis for the bridging Island Plan) and expanded further in this section. Together, they justify the conclusion that, at this time, when there is real uncertainty, it would be wrong to delay the introduction of a new Island Plan just as it would be wrong to make, with undue certainty, a plan for the next ten- years.

Figure 2: The basis for the bridging Island Plan

An early response to current challenges

This Island Plan will be considered by the States Assembly in 2022. While the plan provides direction on relevant policy matters which contribute to achieving sustainable development and is informed by robust evidence and extensive consultation, it has been possible to prepare the plan by this date because of a number of factors: States Members agreed that the plan could be lodged, and amendments proposed to it at the same time as the public consultation period[19]; and the shorter timeframe of the plan means that matters that need to be dealt with on a longer-term horizon can be reserved for the next Island Plan, which in turn has allowed resources to be prioritised to prepare this plan more quickly.

A key justification for bringing forward a bridging Island Plan is that it provides an early response to current challenges. The Strategic Issues and Options consultation, undertaken in 2019, included an

online survey, 12 parish drop-ins, stakeholder briefings, town pop-up stalls, a youth engagement programme, and a range of other events. The consultation attracted over 2,000 responses, which described the challenges that islanders want to see addressed.[20]

The updated planning policies made in this Island Plan help make earlier progress on many of the challenges identified in the Strategic Issues and Options consulation. In particular, the Plan seeks to respond to the key issues set out below.

Making homes more affordable for islanders

The Objective Assessment of Housing Need[21] (OAHN) makes clear that more homes are required in the coming years as people live longer and household size continues to reduce, as well as to respond to increases in the island's population. The OAHN also concludes that there is particularly significant demand for larger three- and four-bedroom homes for purchase.

Data from the Jersey House Price Index, compiled by Statistics Jersey, shows: that the price of an average house in Jersey was c.£630,000 in 2020, up from c.£430,000 at the start of the previous Island Plan period in 2011; and that the average cost of a four bedroom family home is currently £1.164m[22]. During the same period, the Housing Affordability Index, which indicates whether a working household with average (mean) income can purchase a property affordably, declined by 11%[23].

The approach adopted for this Island Plan Review, as set out in the Island Plan Preferred Strategy[24], recognised that population growth over the current Island Plan period has been significantly higher than the anticipated additional +325 people a year, averaging around +1,000 people a year over

the years 2011-2019. Statistics Jersey has estimated that, because of this, a net shortfall of 1,800 homes had arisen over this period. The Preferred Strategy concludes that, while some of the

demand associated with this shortfall may have been met by existing supply in the housing market,

it is reasonable to assume that the remaining unmet demand is contributing to the housing pressures (and associated increases in price) currently experienced in Jersey. This additional

demand should be reflected in the number homes being planned for in the Island Plan (the

housing requirement).

The Minister for the Environment recognised this issue in discussion with the Environment, Housing, and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel in September 2020, saying:

we are in a serious, serious problem about housing issues. I think that is probably one of the biggest areas that probably the majority of States Members are really focusing on the new plan[25].

The bridging Island Plan takes steps to address the provision of and affordability of homes, including:

• making provision for up to 4,150 new homes (up to the end of 2025) that will provide a range of types, sizes and tenures to meet the island's different housing needs;

• within the overall provision of homes, planning for up to 1,500 new affordable homes, both for rent and purchase, and aligning the plan with new housing policies that will update and improve the range of affordable housing products and ensure all affordable homes are allocated through the Housing Gateway in line with relevant criteria;

• allocating sites for new affordable homes by extending main and local centres

• introducing a new right-sizing' policy recognising that many residents might choose to move – and release larger houses to become affordable family homes – if they could remain within their local community;

• providing enabling policies that are aligned to the Government of Jersey's Public Estates Strategy[26] to maximise the use of publicly owned land and buildings to support the development of new homes;

• planning to address 50% of the identified backlog of homes over the plan period.

Making improvements for Town residents and placemaking

The Island Plan introduces new policy to ensure that homes are built to high standards and in an environment that better supports the wellbeing of residents, particularly in Town[27].

The Spatial Strategy (set out in Policy SP2 – Spatial strategy, strategic policies chapter) retains the policy of recent Island Plans to focus and encourage the majority of development in Town. The plan, however, recognises that this strategy, over time, has the potential to create additional challenges for Town residents if it is not also possible to continually improve the experience of town living by, for example, increasing access to open space, reducing the impact of vehicles on the townscape, protecting the character of Town, and improving the public realm and access to community facilities including good schools. This challenge is reflected in the findings of the Jersey Opinions and Lifestyle Survey 2018[28], which found that just 36% of St Helier residents were satisfied with their local neighbourhood, compared to 81% of residents of rural parishes and 63% of largely suburban parishes.

The bridging Island Plan recognises that the sustainable development of the island hinges on the sustainable development of Town and sets out, for the first time, a strategic Plan for Town (see volume two: places – Plan for Town). This plan advances eight strategic concepts, underpinned by detailed policies, that seek to create a town that is better for people to live in, with more open space; good homes; an improved built environment and the schools, jobs and other community facilities and services that support a better quality of life and the creation of a better place.

To support the Plan for Town, the Island Plan proposes the introduction of a Sustainable Communities Fund to invest in improvements over the long-term by capturing a small proportion of the value created when planning consent is given, and recognising that it is legitimate to use this to make wider improvements to benefit the local communities in which development occurs.

Responding to the climate emergency and improving transport

One of the most significant opportunities presented by the bridging Island Plan is to make early progress in strengthening the response that the planning system can make to the climate emergency. The States Assembly has declared a climate emergency and agreed a Carbon Neutral

Strategy that has set in train a people-powered approach to establishing how Jersey should become carbon neutral.

Alongside the development of this process, the bridging Island Plan takes steps – which are in line with the existing commitments of the adopted Energy Plan[29] – to ensure carbon emissions are reduced throughout the life cycle of new development (from design through to deconstruction). These policies include increased environmental design standards for new developments and support for carbon sequestration schemes and ground mounted solar arrays, where appropriate.

Protecting and improving the natural environment is a key part of the island's transition to net zero. The bridging Island Plan reflects the importance of biodiversity throughout the island and seeks to ensure that new development protects and improves green infrastructure and networks.

The bridging Island Plan also integrates the new Sustainable Transport Policy[30]. It provides support for related initiatives and strengthens the requirement for contributions to support bus services and to deliver new walking, cycling and wheeling infrastructure as part of new developments.

Strengthening protection from inappropriate development

The bridging Island Plan is informed by two important new studies into the landscape and seascape character of Jersey and the urban character of St Helier[31]. Both studies reflect, in detail, the many valuable places, settings and contexts throughout the island and its territorial waters, and how best to manage development that might affect them, to protect their special character.

The bridging Island Plan increases the protection afforded to the special and unique assets in the island from inappropriate development. The expanded Coastal National Park extends the highest level of protection to sensitive landscapes around the Jersey coast and its waters; new historic environment policies recognise and strengthen the protection afforded to the settings of listed buildings; and the policy regime for the green backdrop zone is retained and enhanced.

An initial response to the pandemic and Brexit

The impacts and aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic will be the defining story of the bridging Island Plan period. The pandemic dramatically impacted the quality of people's lives, individually and as a community. The implications will be significant and long-lasting. It will take many years to fully understand the impact the pandemic has had on our children's education, on our economy, our social habits and behaviours and, perhaps most significantly, on our mental and physical health and wellbeing. These downstream effects will impact the long-term trends and sustainable wellbeing of Jersey in ways that will need to be understood and responded to in future years.

The pandemic has had pronounced and direct impacts on our relationship with our physical environment, both for good and bad. The initial period of lockdown in 2020 was experienced very differently by people in smaller homes and with less access to outside space. Similarly, new experiences, such as extended working from home, or periods of self-isolation, are made much easier through access to additional and separate space within a home. At the same time, many people across the world reported feeling a new affinity for the natural environment and recognised how different environments and road space could feel with the prolonged absence of vehicles.

Our experience has highlighted the significance of the quality of our homes and our neighbourhoods to personal and community wellbeing. The bridging Island Plan recognises this and seeks to ensure that the design and quality of new homes and access to open space is improved as an integral and important part of new development.

These new experiences give glimpses of potential future economic, social, and environmental changes. The period during which the bridging Island Plan was prepared – throughout late 2020 and early 2021 – was too early to determine whether these experiences might be sustained and embed themselves as new behaviours that require a planning policy response; or, whether they may be replaced by previous behaviours or, over time, create entirely new behaviours and requirements.

In many cases, the pandemic brought to a much wider community, new experiences that reflect the strategic policy objectives of the Island Plan for many years. The experience of reduced peak time congestion (down almost 13% in 2020 compared to previous years) and increased use of the island's cycling and walking infrastructure may accelerate the shift to an entirely sustainable transport system by 2030, as set out in the Sustainable Transport Policy. In these instances, the Island Plan seeks to accelerate the process of establishing these new experiences as shared and sustained behaviours.

If the Coronavirus pandemic had not occurred, it is likely that the defining story of the first years of the Island Plan would be, in large part, determined by the impacts of Brexit. In December 2020, the States Assembly voted to participate in the agreement between the UK and the EU on their future relationship[32]. This maintains, as closely as possible, the conditions of Jersey's current EU trading relationship and ensures that goods destined for the EU are treated fairly, without tariffs, and equal to those goods originating from the UK.

Following Brexit, the period of this Island Plan will see significant changes to the current system for managing immigration into the Common Travel Area (CTA) and migration from within the CTA to Jersey. These include both the introduction of a new points-based immigration system by the UK Government (and the introduction of related and comparable controls within Jersey) and the introduction of a migration control policy by the Government of Jersey[33].

The development of the Island Plan has been able to progress in tandem with the States Assembly's consideration, debate and approval of a migration control policy, and the anticipated future publication of a population policy, because the impact of that new policy on the overall population of the island will not take effect for some time. In the meantime, the primary impacts on migration are likely to stem from the post-pandemic and post-Brexit economic and immigration contexts, rather than the adoption and implementation of local policy which seeks to further regulate migration.

The new migration control policy and future population policy, together with the results of the 2021 Census; greater learning about both the performance of the island's economy following the pandemic and the impact of post-Brexit immigration changes; and the development of a longer- term economic framework for the island; will all inform long-term planning in the coming years and can be fully reflected in the subsequent Island Plan from 2025. Strategic Proposal 1, below, commits to undertaking the necessary work, based on these developments, to establish a long-term planning assumption, to inform the requirement for homes, for the next Island Plan.

Building the foundations for a long-term Island Plan

The bridging Island Plan looks forward to the strategic requirements of the island over time; sets a vision of a sustainable future; and helps build the foundations for a long-term Island Plan to follow, from 2025.

The Island Plan Review, initiated in 2019, was intended to prepare a long-term Island Plan for the period 2021-30. Because of this, the programme to review and update the evidence base to which the bridging Island Plan responds has been comprehensive, thorough and forward-looking.

Several key studies, on which successive previous Island Plans and planning policy have been based, have been updated and are expected to remain relevant into and potentially beyond this, and the next, Island Plan period. These include the award-winning Jersey Integrated Landscape and Seascape Character Assessment[34] and the updated St Helier Urban Character Appraisal[35].

Steps have been taken to ensure that the bridging Island Plan is informed by a longer-term view of infrastructure needs, for example, through the development of the Minerals, Waste and Water Study[36] and the Infrastructure Capacity Study[37], which consider requirements over several decades and a 15 year period respectively. The Island Plan also provides a policy response to the Shoreline Management Plan[38], which models and responds to sea-level rise over three epochs during the next 100 years.

This longer-term evidence base is used to shape detailed policies to take effect now. Importantly though, the evidence is also used to inform the strategic policy framework for the Island Plan, to which all development proposals should accord. The strategic policy framework is also informed by the Strategic Issues and Options consultation[39] and by a range of other strategies and policies, including those referenced in the strategic context section below. Because these strategic policies are rooted in a wide-ranging and long-term analysis, it is likely that they will remain, in large part relevant to the next Island Plan.

The bridging Island Plan cannot address all the strategic matters relevant to the next Plan period. In order to make progress in areas that are currently uncertain, or are simply emergent, the Island Plan sets out for the first time, a series of strategic proposals, which frame and direct further work that will be required to ensure the next Island Plan can appropriately plan for a longer-term period.

As the diagram below suggests, the Island Plan now forms part of the Government of Jersey's adopted long-term strategic framework, which guides decision-making, performance review and improvement across Jersey's public service. The development of this framework, which was established as a priority in the Common Strategic Policy 2018-22[40], expects that these strategic proposals, as well as proposals made elsewhere in the Island Plan will, in turn, be included as priorities for delivery in future Government Plans – providing additional resources where required – and consequently included in future departmental operational business plans in coming years.

Figure 4: Performance management and business planning standards and principles

Strategic context

The strategic context to the bridging Island Plan is wide-ranging, and the inter-relationships between different policies, aims and objectives is complex. The Island Plan has been developed with regard to, and in many cases, helps to progress this wider strategic context. In some cases though, the policies of the Island Plan may be in tension with certain other ambitions, for example, where planning policy performs a necessary regulatory function.

[41]This section summarises a selection of key strategic documents that help set the context for the bridging Island Plan. It does not summarise the additional evidence base that has been prepared to inform, and is published alongside, the Island Plan; key elements of that evidence base are summarised in the context of the relevant policies set out in later sections.

Sustainable wellbeing

Jersey is one of only a small number of jurisdictions across the world that have made an explicit and binding commitment to promote wellbeing in all their actions.41. Sustainable wellbeing is a holistic concept that uses different tools to measure how well society is doing across the key areas that contribute to overall quality of life. It supports a focus on long-term progress rather than short-term intervention, and enables community, environmental and economic indicators of wellbeing to be measured.

The Island Plan shapes the places that promote good health and wellbeing; defining how people live and travel; where they work and learn; and determines the quality of the built and natural environment that all islanders share. The plan deals with both the direct and indirect land use implications of change and sets out a means to balance competing needs and objectives.

The majority of people surveyed in Jersey support focusing the Island Plan on promoting sustainable wellbeing[42], as defined by the Future Jersey community vision4316 published in March 2018, which sets out a range of priorities across ten social, environmental and economic areas. It presents an aspirational vision for how people want Jersey to develop in the coming 20 years.

Future Jersey highlights that islanders want Jersey to be developed in a sustainable way and that all community, environmental and economic needs are met without being detrimental to the island. Through the sustainable development of the island, the Island Plan is committed to ensuring that the needs prioritised in Future Jersey will be met for all islanders both in the short and long-term. This requires the Island Plan to have sustainability objectives, each of which are interdependent, and assessed based on the following themes:

• community – seeking to protect and improve the quality of people's lives and the island's cultural heritage and identity;

• environment – seeking to protect and improve the quality of Jersey's urban, rural and marine environments and biodiversity;

• economy – seeking to maintain and improve the performance of the local economy within sustainable limits.

Jersey's Performance Framework launched in January 2020, provides the means to monitor progress towards the Future Jersey vision of sustainable wellbeing. Volume four sets out how the approach to monitoring, delivery and review of the Island Plan now integrates with the Jersey Performance Framework.

An independent Sustainability Appraisal of the Island Plan has also been undertaken and is published alongside the plan. The Sustainability Appraisal provides a more detailed understanding of sustainability and how the different facets of this have informed the development of the Island Plan.

Common Strategic Policy

The Common Strategic Policy, which details the priorities agreed by this Council of Ministers for its current term of office, was agreed unanimously by the States Assembly in December 2018.[43] The Island Plan incorporates each of the strategic priorities, as outlined below.

We will put children first:

• ensuring that our children have access to high-quality infrastructure – such as schools, health care facilities and community amenities;

• helping address the provision and affordability of family homes in Jersey; and

• maintaining and creating play, open and green space that serves the needs of children, present and future, and will contribute to helping children be safe, active, social and imaginative. Access to high quality and safe places for children and young people to play is critical to the development of the physical, emotional, social and cognitive skills that they need to thrive.

We will improve islander's wellbeing and mental and physical health:

• ensuring that all development must consider the potential health, wellbeing and wider amenity impacts on Jersey's residents;

• prioritising the development of a new hospital and safeguarding the Our Hospital' development site agreed by the States Assembly; and

• supporting new and extended community, health and social care facilities; access to Jersey's coast and countryside; and major improvements and access to the walking, cycling, public transport and active travel networks. Focusing on these areas in the plan is critical to the maintenance of vibrant and sustainable communities, whilst also supporting islanders' physical and mental wellbeing.

We will create a sustainable vibrant economy and skilled local workforce for the future:

• giving priority to the maintenance of a productive and diverse economy, with support for new and existing businesses, particularly where they encourage the development of a local market for goods and services, attract small footprint/high value business and foster innovation;

• safeguarding key economic infrastructure throughout the post-pandemic period;

• supporting new, extended, or improved tourism or cultural attractions in the built-up area, where the development positively contributes to the range and quality of the island's tourism and cultural offer; and

• ensuring that the distribution and accessibility of additional educational facilities and future educational sites meet the needs of the community they serve, and that they are otherwise sustainable and adaptable to future generations and changing needs.

We will reduce income inequality and improve the standard of living:

• making a substantial response to the current challenging cost of housing, which is a major determinant of the standard of living available to islanders; and

• making provision for the supply of at least an additional 750 homes per year to meet the housing needs of Jersey's population, including over 1,000 affordable homes, and supporting the provision of homes to meet specific housing needs.

We will protect and value our environment:

• protecting and improving the island's natural environment, its landscapes, coastline, seascapes, biodiversity, and geodiversity;

• extending the Coastal National Park to provide the highest level of protection to Jersey's most sensitive coast and countryside locations; and

• integrating with and supporting the Carbon Neutral Strategy and Sustainable Transport Policy.

Population context and planning assumption

Understanding current and potential future population levels is of central importance to Jersey and the bridging Island Plan. The importance of population was raised frequently in the Strategic Issues and Options consultation in 2019 and is a theme of public comment whenever the Island Plan is discussed.

While the shorter-term bridging Island Plan is intended to mitigate the risks of making long-term plans in a volatile context, it is still based on the best available data. An agreed planning assumption was set out in the Preferred Strategy, that has directly informed policy development and site selection. [44] Strategic Proposal 1 of the plan commits to the further work necessary to ensure that a more detailed long-term planning assumption, based on the latest 2021 Census data and adopted population policy, is available to inform the next Island Plan from 2025 (see Strategic Proposal 1 - Development of a long-term planning assumption, later in this chapter) .

Current population of Jersey

As of the year-end of 2019, the estimated resident population of Jersey was 107,800[45]. During 2019, the resident population increased by around 1,100 people: net inward migration accounted for 1,000 of this annual increase; whilst natural growth (births minus deaths) accounted for the remainder. Natural growth in 2019 was the lowest since 2002.

The average increase in the resident population of the island between 2011 and 2019 was 1,000 per year, with licensed employees[46] and their dependents accounting for approximately 40% of this population. In comparison, between 2001 and 2010, the average increase in population was 650 per year, with licensed employees and their dependents representing approximately 43% of this. The global financial crisis had a significant impact on inward migration between 2008 and 2015, with inward migration reducing by over 40% from 2008 levels in this period. Inward migration peaked at 1,500 in 2015 and has steadily decreased in the years since, to 1,000 in 2019.

Changes in the island's economic performance directly impact inward migration, regardless of licensed or registered employees. Following the Coronavirus pandemic, the economic outlook now looks very different and hence its impact as a driver of net migration will be different. Quite how these differences will manifest – both in our economy and in net migration figures – is difficult to model given the current high levels of volatility.

The switch to a shorter-term bridging Island Plan is a means of ensuring that progress in key planning policy areas can be made whilst ensuring sufficient strategic agility to respond to the impacts of the pandemic and Brexit over time.

Age

The 2016 Population Projections48 found that, by 2035, the number of Jersey residents aged over 65 could reach up to 30,000 (depending on the changes migration could bring), which could account for 29% of the total population. This is a change of over 60% in residents aged over 65, with Jersey

currently having 18,500 residents aged over 65. As of 2019, 17.1% of Jersey's population was aged 65 and over, an increase from 16.3% in 2015.

The diagram below, compiled by Statistics Jersey, shows the age and sex of Jersey residents as at the end of 2019.49.

Figure 5 – Jersey population by age and sex, year-end 2019

Dependency ratio

The dependency ratio' refers to the ratio of non-working age to working age persons in the population. A high dependency ratio represents a high number of non-working age being supported by a relatively small number of working-age residents.

The dependency ratio in Jersey was 50% at year-end 201550. The dependency ratio in the future will depend on patterns of net migration, as well as wider natural change in population of the island. The 2016 Population Projections report looked at the overall impact of a range of net migration levels on the dependency levels. It found that, by 2035, the dependency level could be anywhere between 57% and 71% depending on the level of migration.

Planning assumption

As the Preferred Strategy makes clear, the issue of population is fundamental to the Island Plan – since it provides the starting point for understanding how many homes need to be planned for and is linked to the likely scale of economic activity (which is turn affects the demand for employment

premises/floorspace). A reasoned and justifiable planning assumption ensures that appropriate provision of land and development opportunities are made in the Island Plan in order that a sustainable balance is struck overall. The shorter timescale of the bridging Island Plan is proposed precisely because it is very difficult, currently, to model the shape of future population trends.

The Island Plan Review has considered evidence from Statistics Jersey and across government departments in order to ensure that the planning assumption is fully informed – particularly about population dynamics and changes to the demographic profile of our community – and, where appropriate, the anticipated impact of future government policies.

However, the work also reflects a series of informed assumptions about population changes that might unfold in the coming years, given the high degree of uncertainty about changes to population brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and beyond.

In the five-year period leading to the development of the bridging Island Plan, the average population change has been an additional 1,370 people a year. However, a consistent downward trend underlies this average, with the total annual increase falling by around 100-200 people each previous year, from a high point of 1,700 in 2015. This trend is driven by reductions in both natural growth and net inward migration, as shown in table 1 below.

Table 1: Change in Jersey's resident population, 2015 – 2019

As in previous years, the level of net inward migration will largely determine the total annual change in population over the Island Plan period. In turn, the level of net migration is largely interdependent with the level of employment growth over the period of the plan.

Following the Coronavirus pandemic, the economic outlook for the period of the bridging Island Plan looks challenging. The graph below shows illustrative forecast of the Fiscal Policy Panel's updated economic assumptions from April 2021.[47]

Figure 6: Fiscal Policy Panel – economic growth projections, April 2021

The current period is likely to be characterised by steep falls in the non-finance sectors, such as hospitality. Changes in registered employment – as a primary driver of in-migration – are well explained by changes in GVA, but crucially non-finance GVA has an impact on registered employment that is three times greater than the impact of finance GVA. It is considered highly likely that this increase in unemployment, and the predicted sustained dampening of economic growth, will have a depressant effect on employment and lead to a further substantial slowing of the growth in annual net migration.

The situation for 2022-2025 is further complicated by the challenge of assessing the future

direction of economic and immigration trends in the post-Brexit period. Whilst there remains a high degree of uncertainty regarding the potential economic and immigration impacts of Brexit, it is reasonable to conclude that there is a high likelihood that a challenging Brexit transition would also have depressant effect on employment and lead to a further slowing of the growth in annual net migration, in addition to the impact of Coronavirus outlined above.

The nature and scale of this depressant effect is difficult to judge. In establishing a comparator, it is reasonable to draw on evidence from the impact of the global financial crash of 2007-08. Net

inward migration fell sharply in the five years after the crash (2009-2013), with average inward migration over this period running at +600 people each year. In the five years prior to the crash (2004-2008) average inward migration was +920 people per year. This represents a 35% fall in the average annual inward migration rate.

To account for the general downward trajectory of growth in inward migration in recent years, a 35% reduction might equally be applied to the more recent three-year trend of 1,100 per year (see table 1 above). In this case, the average over the coming five years would be expected to fall to around 700 people per year. Such a figure is supported by consideration of:

• the gearing' effect of the anticipated falls in non-finance GVA (at three times the greater impact on registered employment than equivalent falls in finance sector GVA in 2008); and

• the cumulative likely effects of:

• the economic impacts of coronavirus;

• the numbers of registered employed that, during the pandemic, returned to a permanent place of residence outside Jersey;
• the economic impacts of Brexit; and
• the immigration impacts of Brexit.

The bridging Island Plan, therefore, assumes that average annual net migration for the next five years will fall at the lower end of this range, at +700 per year and a total of +3,500 over the five years 2020-24. Within this average, it would be expected that net migration:

• is likely to be lower than +700 in 2020, in particular driven by the departure of previously resident islanders during the pandemic;

• may remain below +700 in 2021, and potentially 2022, given the projected economic challenges. This is more likely because of the additional restrictions in place over winter 2020-21, both in Jersey and elsewhere, and the potential for a European third wave in 2021; and

• will gently rise during the plan period of 2022-25 as the economy recovers.

Overall population growth also includes natural growth. It is considered reasonable to assume a continuation of the recent three-year trend of around +100 per year.

Taken together, the suggested natural growth and average net migration figures suggest a near- term planning assumption of around 4,000 over the five years from 2021-25, based on an average annual increase of +800 per year.

Providing homes in Jersey

The planning system has a key role to play in addressing the availability and cost of housing in Jersey. The bridging Island Plan is informed by the emergent recommendations of the Housing Policy Development Board[48] and by the Island Public Estates Strategy26, and establishes a policy framework to ensure the right open market homes are built and makes provision for the sustainable development of affordable housing.

The Objective Assessment of Housing Need[49] (OAHN) makes clear that more housing is required in the coming years, regardless of migration, as people live longer, and household size continues to reduce. The OAHN also assesses the type of housing required against all tenures (non-qualified; owner occupier; qualified rent; social rent). Applied to an average annual population growth scenario of +800 per year, the OAHN methodology suggests that around 6,100 homes will be required over the ten-year plan period 2021-30.

In addition to the housing requirement set out in the OAHN report, it is recognised that population growth over the current Island Plan period has been significantly higher than the anticipated additional 325 people a year, averaging around 1,000 people a year. Statistics Jersey has estimated that, as a consequence of this, a net shortfall of 1,800 homes has arisen over the current ten-year plan period (2011-2020), of which approximately half will be in the unqualified sector[50]. Some of the demand associated with this shortfall may have been met by existing under-capacity in the market, but it is reasonable to assume that the remaining unsatisfied demand is contributing to the housing pressures experienced in Jersey, and creating additional demand that should be reflected in the Island Plan housing requirement.

Recognising this net shortfall raises the ten-year housing requirement to 7,900. It is proposed that the target should be profiled evenly over the coming ten years, with 50% of the target – or 3,950 homes – to be met in the first five years, 2021-25. This includes homes already under construction and the duration of the bridging Island Plan period.

Based on the work of the Housing Policy Development Board, it is considered appropriate to conclude that, as a minimum, Government might seek to address 5% of the identified housing requirement (rounded to 200 homes) through non-development policies (i.e. policies that make better use of the existing housing stock).

The Island Plan, therefore, assumes a housing development target, over a five-year planning period (2021-25), of 3,750 homes, of a type and tenure consistent with the OAHN analysis. This requirement arises from changes in ageing and dwelling patterns; from increases in population over the plan period; and from the net shortfall of the last plan period.

Government Plan

The Government Plan[51] is a detailed one-year plan with a rolling four-year approach that brings together income and expenditure decisions, for the 12 months ahead, as part of a four-year financial outlook. It sets out how public money will be spent to deliver the day-to-day business of government and on strategic priorities and areas for improvement, including the prioritisation of infrastructure delivery.

The Island Plan Review has been funded through and developed alongside both the 2020-23 and 2021-24 Government Plans. This includes work to explore long-term future infrastructure requirements in order to inform future Government Plans and financial forecasts. The initial phases of this work are published as an Infrastructure Capacity Study, and future phases will form a long- term infrastructure plan.[52]

Future Economy

The bridging Island Plan is, in part, a response to the challenge of understanding short-term economic trends given the impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic and changes brought about by Brexit. Nevertheless, certain medium- and long-term trends are likely to continue to impact the shape of Jersey's economy. These include wider global trends, such as the impacts of new technologies and changes in consumer behaviours and in Jersey's dominant finance sector.

Work to frame and respond to these trends, in the form of a future economic framework for Jersey, is underway. The Island Plan has been developed alongside this work and has also developed and assessed scenarios for key employment land uses, which are published as part of the evidence base[53].

Carbon Neutral Strategy and Energy Plan

The Carbon Neutral Strategy[54] sets out a people-powered approach to respond to the aim for Jersey to be carbon neutral by 2030. The strategy builds on the progress made through the Pathway 2050: An Energy Plan for Jersey[55] and sets out a strategic framework of principles and a central planning scenario.

The Island Plan incorporates the principles set out in the Carbon Neutral Strategy and presents policies that respond to the requirements of the Energy Plan. In particular, new policies are included to support the delivery of renewable and low carbon energy schemes and innovative forms of infrastructure and land use which aid a transition to carbon neutrality. Carbon emissions will be reduced further; new development will be required to respond to sustainable buildings standards and secure enhanced energy performance ratings; and all new development must accord with the energy hierarchy, which in order of importance, seeks to minimise energy demand, maximise energy efficiency, utilise renewable energy, and utilise low carbon energy.

Sustainable Transport Policy

In 2020, the States Assembly agreed a Sustainable Transport Policy[56] (STP) framework that aims to create an entirely sustainable transport system by 2030. This requires a fundamental re-think of how road space is allocated in Jersey, how the transport system is funded and what benefits are secured in return. This vision, of a transport system that supports the sustainable wellbeing of future generations, is closely related to the Carbon Neutral Strategy and key to securing a wide range of environmental, social and economic improvements.

The Island Plan incorporates and requires development to respond to the ten decision making principles for a sustainable transport system. The plan also supports future improvements to walking, cycling, public transport and active travel networks, and evolutionary reform to parking standards, as these improvements are delivered.

Children and Young People's Plan

The Children and Young People's Plan 2019 to 2023[57] is a fundamental new plan for Jersey's children, young people and families, which aims to make sure Jersey is the best place to grow up and also improves everyday lives. The physical environments in which our children grow up can have a profound effect on their physical and emotional wellbeing, often to the same extent as the social and economic factors that are traditionally understood to influence children's life outcomes.

A range of steps were taken to ensure the voice of young people was heard in the Strategic Issues and Option consultations, and the Island Plan introduces a range of new policies to shape development in ways that improve family life. A Children's Rights Impact Assessment[58] of the Island Plan has been produced and published alongside the Island Plan as part of the government's ongoing commitment to progress the implementation of the UNCRC.

Disability Strategy

The Disability Strategy for Jersey[59] sets out the proposed priorities and actions to help ensure the key outcome of the strategy: that people living with disability enjoy a good quality of life.

The Island Plan incorporates and supports the priorities and action plans set out within the Disability Strategy by:

• prioritising the development of accessible infrastructure across the island;

• ensuring increased specialist housing is developed; and

• responding to the need for new and extended community, health and social care facilities.

Air Quality Strategy

The Air Quality Strategy[60] adopted in 2013, supports the principle that everyone in Jersey should have access to outdoor air without significant risk to their health and that there should be minimal impacts from air pollutants on the environment of Jersey or our neighbours'. Air quality in Jersey is generally good, and this is due to the location of the island and the prevailing weather conditions, together with the structure of the local economy and the limited amount of industrial and manufacturing processes that take place on-island. The current air quality monitoring programme[61] demonstrates that pollution levels in Jersey are below thresholds of concern to human health and the environment66.

The Island Plan incorporates the Air Quality Strategy through the formulation of planning policies which require planning applications to be determined in a manner which:

• supports measures to improve current air quality;

• discourages polluting activities;

• ensures that air quality issues associated with proposed developments are carefully and appropriately considered;

• determines the location of developments which may give rise to air pollution (either directly or from traffic generated) through dust, smell, fumes, smoke, heat, radiation, gases, steam, or other forms of airborne emissions; and

• prevents an increase in pollution, or allows for mitigating air quality impacts from new developments, particularly in areas already suffering high levels of air pollution.

Retail in Jersey

The Retail in Jersey67 report was published in 2018 to consider the challenges facing retail in Jersey, as it is one of the largest industries in the island. The report's recommendations were all encompassing and prioritised the local growth of the sector in the years to come, be that through adjustments to retail tax or adapting existing infrastructure to increase consumerism. The Island Plan acknowledges the recommendations in the Retail in Jersey report and aims to prioritise the retail sector through:

• identifying distinct areas, including the core retail area and town centre of St Helier and a defined centre for Les Quennevais, to help maintain and enhance retail vitality and viability; and ensure and enable complementary land uses and activities;

• maintaining and improving the core retail area, St Helier town centre and Les Quennevais centre by supporting the development, refurbishment or extension of existing retail premises, whilst also only supporting proposals for a change of use away from retail under specific circumstances;

• not supporting development proposals that would result in the loss of employment land unless there are overwhelming reasons to do so;

• prioritising pedestrian activity to maintain and encourage the growth of a vibrant core in the cultural and economic heart of St Helier; and

• improving transport development to increase accessibility of retail to all.

The previous Jersey Retail Strategy (2006) has also been considered, as well as regard to the emergent new retail strategy for the island, which is in development.

Sport Strategy

The Inspiring an Active Jersey Strategy[62] seeks to increase islanders' physical activity by 10%, by 2030 and help create more active people for a healthier island. The strategy sets a vision in which Jersey will be a healthier, more productive and fairer society by being one of the most physically active populations in the world. The recently published Inspiring Active Places consultation[63] builds on the strategy to explore options for major improvements in the island's sports facilities and infrastructure.

The Island Plan has been developed alongside the research that has informed Inspiring Active Places and provides a number of specific policies and site designations to enable its future conclusions to be brought forward to benefit the community. The plan aims to support the improvement and redevelopment of current sporting facilities, whilst also supporting new sporting facilities that provide a more efficient and effective use of the buildings and facilities to the benefit of the community.

Jersey Culture, Arts and Heritage Strategic Review and Recommendations

The Jersey Culture, Arts and Heritage Strategic Review and Recommendations[64], published in 2018, sets out the findings and recommendations from an independent review into Jersey's culture, art and heritage. The findings and recommendations encapsulate five core themes, that culture, art and heritage:

1. are central to learning and growth, helping everyone realise their potential;
2. support long, healthy and active lives;
3. shape vibrant, inclusive, attractive communities and places;
4. drive local economic development and position Jersey externally; and
5. underpin an outstanding quality of life.

The Island Plan understands the importance of culture, art and heritage in islanders' lives, which is why it is incorporated in the strategic policies of the plan. The plan will promote and protect the island's distinct identity and support culture, art and heritage through ensuring that:

• all development should seek to protect and where possible improve the historic environment where it impacts listed buildings and places; and conservation areas (once introduced), and their settings;

• the provision of public art, through the development process, will be sought;

• the provision of new or enhanced cultural facilities to support and grow the island's cultural and creative industries and support the island's cultural diversity is encouraged; and

• existing cultural infrastructure is protected from redevelopment or changes to other uses.

Strategic Proposals

As set out above, a range of steps have been taken to look forward to the strategic requirements of the island over time, set a vision of a sustainable future and help build the foundations for a long- term Island Plan after the bridging plan period. This Island Plan though clearly cannot address all the strategic matters relevant to the next Plan period. In order to make progress in areas that are currently uncertain or are emergent, the Island Plan also sets out, for the first time, a series of strategic proposals.

These strategic proposals are intended to frame and direct further work that will be required to ensure the next Island Plan can appropriately plan for a longer-term period. They address thematic and spatial issues that are pertinent to good plan-making in Jersey. Unlike the strategic policies of the Island Plan, where a degree of consistency and continuity are likely over the long-term, these strategic proposals are issues that are specific to the current context and plan period, and they will need to be explored and understood over that period in order to inform the next Island Plan. They are also issues that inter-relate and hence need to be progressed in alignment and in some cases in sequence.

Each Government and States Assembly is responsible for directing resources and policy priorities during its term of office. The intention, in raising certain key issues as strategic proposals and subjecting these, through the plan-making process, to wide-ranging public and political scrutiny and consideration, is to endow these proposals with greater weight and significance in future prioritisation exercises, such as the development of a Common Strategic Policy, following the next general election.

Strategic Proposal 1 – Development of a long-term planning assumption Each Island Plan responds to an agreed planning assumption. A long-term planning assumption is

used to inform (usually) ten-year requirements for homes, economic development and infrastructure along with other community needs, such as accommodating an ageing population and meeting education and health care requirements. A reasoned and justifiable planning assumption ensures that appropriate provision of land and development opportunities is made in the plan in order that a sustainable balance is struck overall.

The role of the planning assumption in informing the bridging Island Plan is somewhat different, because a shorter timescale has been proposed due to the difficulty, in the midst of the on-going Coronavirus pandemic, to model the potential future population and demand figures. This is particularly the case as previous in-migration to Jersey has been very closely driven by economic performance.

It has also been difficult to establish a long-term planning assumption for the bridging Island Plan because of uncertainty about the impacts of post-Brexit arrangements for immigration into the Common Travel Area, and because of on-going work to implement new migration controls and to develop a new population policy for Jersey.

The new Migration Control Policy (P.137/2020, as amended[65]), amongst other things, creates more responsive set of controls on the number of migrants who acquire the right to settle permanently in Jersey and removes the automatic graduation' from one Control of Housing and Work Law permission to another. The Migration Control Policy also requires the development of a further population policy, which should consider a range of issues and be updated annually.

The long-term Island Plan that will follow the bridging Island Plan will benefit from these new arrangements as they will provide both a policy basis and justification to inform the planning assumption of the next Island Plan, and the necessary controls to ensure that future migration trends are more likely to broadly reflect this assumption.

However, as the final report of the Migration Policy Development Board[66] makes clear (based on pre-pandemic work to develop a long-term planning assumption as part of the Island Plan Review)

there are tensions inherent in setting an effective population policy, of which (as suggested in the diagram below) sustainable development considerations are only one part.

Figure 8: Key issues in delivering sustainable development

Recognising this, it will also be important to respond to wider plans being developed as part of the Future Economy Programme, which will produce a range of outputs to shape the long-term future direction of the Jersey economy, with a focus on productivity and skills. The programme will, amongst other things, provide decision support tools to help guide decisions about investments in fiscal, land use and other policy areas, such as skills, infrastructure and technology, in order to support increases in productivity.

In the same way that the Coronavirus pandemic has impacted on the Island Plan Review, it has also impacted on the development of migration, population, economic and skills policies, leading to some delays, but also increasing the uncertainty to which those policies must respond. Nevertheless, the bridging Island Plan period presents the opportunity to properly conclude work in each of these areas and to establish the legal basis for new migration controls, in order that these might be synthesised into a long-term planning assumption for the next Island Plan.

Strategic Proposal 1 - Development of a long-term planning assumption

Ministers will work together to develop a long-term planning assumption, with a clear and comprehensive methodology, for the next and future Island Plans, that reflects and responds to:

• the migration control policy;

• the forthcoming population policy;

• the findings of the Future Economy Programme; and

• the future development of wider relevant policies, including skills.

Strategic Proposal 2 – Understanding the long-term requirements of Jersey's energy market

Strategic energy policy in Jersey is currently framed by two key documents: Pathway 2050: An Energy Plan for Jersey[67] and the Carbon Neutral Strategy (CNS).[68] Pathway 2050 outlines 27 targeted actions to reduce energy demand; ensure energy security and resilience; and ensure energy is affordable. The CNS establishes a people-powered approach, which includes Jersey's

Climate Conversation and the Citizens' Assembly on Climate Change[69] to inform a new Carbon Neutral Roadmap for the island. The CNS has a narrower strategic scope than the Energy Plan[70]. It, therefore, builds on the existing energy affordability and security of supply policies established by Pathway 2050, which were the product of several years research and development.

The CNS is clear that accelerating our departure from the use of hydrocarbons, and significantly increasing the use of centrally generated electricity using existing infrastructure, is the only realistic, achievable and affordable route to carbon neutrality in Jersey by 2030. If this strategy is ultimately adopted by the States Assembly in the Carbon Neutral Roadmap, it provides an important frame of reference for wider energy policies and subsequent infrastructure investments that will need to be considered in further detail.

The CNS recognises that our current electricity model has served the island well, and provides an affordable, reliable and secure product with strong investment and a good return to shareholders (note that the Government of Jersey is the 62% majority shareholder of Jersey Electricity with the annual dividend being returned to general revenue). The current low carbon supply of electricity contributes to lower overall per capita carbon dioxide emissions in Jersey, which the CNS recognises, are a necessary foundation for any rapid progress to carbon neutrality.

The current model of centralised energy importation and distribution from the European grid may continue to be the right one for Jersey in the future. However, the strategic implications of this approach for other energy policies, and the strategic implications, space use and infrastructure considerations of other energy policy choices on the current approach – under a scenario of rapid electrification – will need to be explored. Key considerations for this will include:

• establishing the objectives and requirements of the energy market in Jersey over the long- term, which will encompass the drive to become carbon neutral but also explore:

o views on the future significance of, and routes to, a sustained and appropriate degree of energy sovereignty in the post-Brexit period;

o the role of renewable energy generation in the Jersey context (including utility-scale generation in terrestrial waters) and in particular the impact that increased local generation might have on energy affordability over both the medium- and long- term; and

o islanders' expectations and ambitions for decentralised energy systems in the future; and

• work, stemming from P.88/2017[71], to review the current Electricity Law.

Regardless of the specific expectations of the forthcoming Carbon Neutral Roadmap, and the impact of this on issues of energy affordability and sovereignty, it is also clear that rapid changes in technology, and the increased potential to democratise power generation, distribution and storage, will create future changes to our energy system and the way we chose, use and distribute energy. Future Island Plans will need to respond to this challenge. Building on the progress and strengthened policies set out in this Island Plan, this strategic proposal ensures that the next and future Island Plans can respond to these changes and plan confidently for future energy infrastructure requirements.

Strategic Proposal 2 - Understanding the long-term requirements of Jersey's energy market

The Minister for the Environment, in discussion with the Minister for Infrastructure and the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture, will explore the range of issues necessary to understand the long-term requirement of Jersey's energy market including:

• spatial and land use requirements for future Island Plans;

• infrastructure requirements; and

• regulatory or other economic requirements.

Ministers will engage with a range of stakeholders to undertake this work, including the Jersey Energy Forum.

Strategic Proposal 3 – Creating a marine spatial plan for Jersey

Jersey's planning system extends to the marine environment, and the bridging Island Plan includes a policy regime that responds to known and potential future developments related to a range of activities such as offshore utility scale renewable energy development, aquaculture and shoreline management. The bridging Island Plan also seeks to ensure that the impact of development on areas of high marine biodiversity and seascape value is given significant weight in the decision making process, and extends the boundary for the Coastal National Park to best regulate and limit development of the unique intertidal zones and offshore reefs.

The marine environment is, however, a complex ecosystem where a range of activities and interests occur which extend beyond the sphere of the planning process and the regulation of development activity. These include energy generation and transmission, recreation, fishing, shipping and conservation. There is, therefore, a significant and strategic opportunity to strengthen the planning and management regime for the marine environment. To best manage and to secure the comprehensive and sustainable use of marine and coastal resources, it is proposed to develop a marine spatial plan for the island's waters.

A marine spatial plan enables the development of a coordinated and coherent approach to governance and decision making in the marine environment by creating a framework to ensure that decisions are consistent with Government policies and objectives for all aspects of its use and management. Such a plan has a range of potential benefits across different policy areas, providing a context for new approaches to decarbonisation; environmental and economic regulation; and potential economic and energy sector opportunities.

The preparation and adoption of a marine spatial plan requires and enables extensive consultation and engagement with all interested stakeholders including government, technical experts, professional bodies, commercial interests, and community groups. It is proposed that this work is undertaken during the period of the bridging Island Plan in order to inform policies for the management of development activity as part of the next Island Plan Review.

Strategic Proposal 3 – Creating a marine spatial plan for Jersey

The Minister for the Environment will undertake further work to develop a Marine Spatial Plan to organise human and marine resources and activities in Jersey's territorial waters to be consistent with overall environmental, economic and social objectives.

This work will inform the policies of the next iteration of the Island Plan and support coordinated policy development and decision-making on all aspects affecting the marine environment.

Strategic Proposal 4 – A west of island planning framework

Successive Island Plan spatial strategies have sought to direct the majority of new development towards St Helier. The spatial strategy for the bridging Island Plan continues this overall approach, which meets a range of sustainable development objectives and makes best use of previously developed land in order to protect the island's undeveloped countryside and urban open space. However, in setting out the Plan for Town (see Volume 2: Places), the bridging Island Plan also recognises that there are limits to the sustainability of this strategy and that it can create challenges for the built environment of the town and the quality of life experienced by its residents.

The question of where best to accommodate development in Jersey will remain a key consideration of future of Island Plans regardless of the outcome of current debates about population policy. The Objective Assessment of Housing Needmakes clear that, even with a net-zero migration outcome over the period 2021-2030, 2,200 new homes would still be required to account for changes in ageing and dwelling patterns within the existing resident population. Development to support future economic, community and other infrastructure needs would also be required during and beyond the period of the next Island Plan.

The Sustainability Appraisal[72] of the bridging Island Plan considers the merits and demerits of alternative spatial strategies for the Island. In simple terms, these involve either accommodating development within the built-up area; new development in previously undeveloped locations, either in a scattered fashion or via the creation of a new settlement; or development of the marine environment through land reclamation, as has happened consistently with the growth of St Helier.

The bridging Island Plan begins a process of evolving the island's spatial strategy in order to respond to these longer-term considerations. In particular the spatial strategy introduces a settlement hierarchy that establishes Les Quennevais as the island's secondary urban centre, and the Places section of the plan introduces a policy regime to support this designation that seeks to protect and enhance the range of local services currently provided in the area.

Building from this base, it will be possible to further explore future planning options and opportunities linked to Les Quennevais and neighbouring areas including Jersey Airport. Such work should explore the full range of land use considerations, including the appropriate role of these areas in meeting the island's long-term residential and economic development needs; placemaking considerations; key opportunity sites including use of the former Les Quennevais school site once

its intended use by Health and Community Services has concluded; any infrastructure considerations; travel and transport matters; and the importance of developing Les Quennevais in a manner that supports and complements the role of St Helier as the island's primary urban area and core retail location.

The work would need to engage closely with local and island-wide stakeholders, including the parishes of St Brelade and St Peter, and others, to consider the strategic issues and options for such a planning framework. The framework may take a range of forms, depending on progress and resource availability over the period of the bridging Island Plan, including working papers, published studies and supplementary planning guidance.

Strategic Proposal 4 – A west of island planning framework

The Minister for the Environment will prioritise the development of a planning framework for Les Quennevais and adjacent areas, including Jersey Airport.

Strategic Proposal 5 – An infrastructure roadmap for Jersey

Despite its near-term focus, the bridging Island Plan benefits from being informed by a comprehensive Infrastructure Capacity Study.79. The study represents the first two phases of a three-phase project to develop a long-term infrastructure plan for Jersey and has, together with the Minerals, Waste and Water Study,8036 informed a range of policies set out in this plan.

Infrastructure may be defined in physical, environmental and social terms, across a broad range of scales. Infrastructure ranges in form: from large scale assets such as major roads and airports; to community services and open space. Infrastructure, in all its forms, is an essential requirement to support society and to achieve Jersey's wider aspirations.

A strong network of utilities, transport connections, energy supply and digital connectivity are a prerequisite for the future. This hard infrastructure must, however, be supported by social infrastructure, in the form of education, health, community space, leisure and sports facilities, open space and emergency services facilities. This social infrastructure encourages social interaction and cohesiveness, promotes learning, improves health and wellbeing, and assists in creating equitable, vibrant, liveable places.

In addition, the creation and strengthening of the island's green infrastructure networks and new transport modes and technologies is important in achieving sustainable development for the island. Green infrastructure assets can take many forms including open space, play space, trees, and hedgerows. Green infrastructure enhances wellbeing, provides access to outdoor recreation, improves health and wellbeing, enhances biodiversity, influences food and energy production, results in urban cooling and builds resilience to climate change.

Accommodating infrastructure is a particularly acute challenge for a small island like Jersey. The large opportunity costs associated with allocating land for infrastructure, and the proportionately large scale of major infrastructure investments relative to the island's economy and public finances, means the decisions about the sequencing and timing of necessary future infrastructure are very significant.

The Infrastructure Capacity Study will, therefore, be used as a basis for future scenario and foresight planning to inform an Infrastructure roadmap for Jersey. The roadmap will inform short and long- term strategic policymaking and help to understand the costs and consequences for the environment, economy and wider society of key future infrastructure choices.

Because of the concentration of critical island infrastructure in the area, and in order to respond to the recommendation of the Public Accounts Committee[73], this work will also address options for the long-term development of La Collette.

The development of the infrastructure roadmap will need to be informed by: the outputs of the work, identified at Strategic Proposal 2, to understand the long-term requirements of the energy market in Jersey; as well as the work, recognised in Strategic Proposal 1, to develop a new population policy and associated long-term planning assumption.

In Jersey, as in many other jurisdictions, much of the necessary operational expertise, as well as the responsibility to maintain and invest in the island's critical infrastructure, rests with organisations at

arms-length of government. As such, it will be particularly important to engage with all these stakeholders, those within government, the public and States Members, in developing the infrastructure roadmap.

Strategic Proposal 5 – An infrastructure roadmap for Jersey

The Minister for the Environment, in discussion with other ministers including the Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Culture and Sport, will develop an infrastructure roadmap for Jersey.

The roadmap will build on the Infrastructure Capacity Study to inform short and long-term strategic policymaking and help to understand the costs and consequences for the environment, economy and wider society of key future infrastructure choices.

The roadmap will address options for the long-term development of La Collette.

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Volume 2

Strategic framework

 Strategic Policies  Places

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Volume 2: Strategic Framework Strategic policies

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Strategic policies Responding to climate change

Climate change is probably the most significant challenge facing our society. The scientific evidence of climate change is overwhelming, and the global impacts of climate change will be severe. It is often seen as a long-term challenge, but the impacts are being experienced now, through unprecedented global trends and through more localised severe weather events. In recognition of the threat posed by climate change, the Government of Jersey declared a climate emergency in

May 2019[1] and committed to bringing forward a plan for how Jersey could aim to become a carbon-neutral jurisdiction by 2030. The Carbon Neutral Strategy[2] was lodged and adopted by the States Assembly in February 2020.

Climate change will have a lasting impact on the lives of islanders, our natural environment and our biodiversity. It will also help define future economic progress and growth, as the cost of carbon pollution is expected to continue to rise and climate resilience becomes a more significant consideration in insurance and investment decisions. The Carbon Neutral Strategy (2020)

recognises that our strongest moral and legal responsibility is to the future generations of islanders that will live in and look after Jersey, our children, and our children's children.

Decarbonising our society and economy is a complex task which will require a variety of routes, investments and policies over different timeframes. The Carbon Neutral Strategy sets out a people- powered process to develop a carbon neutral roadmap which will identify and set out the timing of interventions and policies that will enable Jersey to achieve carbon neutrality. This bridging Island Plan must confidently embrace this challenge and provide a new framework to plan for this future. It can directly help mitigate climate change by both reducing emissions, tackling the root cause of climate change; and promoting adaptation to withstand the impacts of our changing climate.

At present, a third of the island's emissions arise from road transport. Through the spatial strategy, the Island Plan can reduce the need to travel by private vehicle, increase the use of sustainable and active modes of transport, and minimise vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The Island Plan will help secure radical reductions in carbon emissions through prioritising the use of public and sustainable forms of transport, including ultra-low emission vehicles.

More than a third of the island's emissions arise from energy use in buildings. The Island Plan can reduce this impact by requiring and supporting innovative development standards and infrastructure and land uses which enable a reduction in energy consumption and whole life-cycle carbon impacts. In particular, larger-scale development must demonstrate how it incorporates the highest level of sustainability measures, including energy efficiency, waste reduction and the use of sustainable drainage systems. This also requires us to critically consider our approach to the use

and treatment of existing buildings, where energy and carbon has already been spent in their construction and fabric, and the plan requires the demolition of existing buildings to be critically appraised. The plan also supports the retrofitting of existing buildings, in an appropriate manner, to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions. Adaptation measures are encouraged, where

these enhance environmental resilience and will not unacceptably harm the historic environment and landscape character.

The location of new development must be suitable in the long term, taking into account increased risk from sea level rise, flooding, increased temperatures and extreme weather events.

Policy SP1 – Responding to climate change

To promote and achieve a meaningful and long-term reduction in carbon emissions and to mitigate against and adapt to the impact of climate change, the Island Plan will:

1. direct growth to areas of previously developed land, or locations which minimise the need to travel by private vehicle;
2. secure improvements to walking, cycling, public transport and active travel networks and promote the use of sustainable forms of transport;
3. direct growth to areas which are least vulnerable to the long-term impacts of climate change, including flood risk;
4. support the retention and appropriate re-use and retrofitting of existing buildings;
5. ensure building design and the public realm is resilient and adaptable;
6. reduce the carbon impact of new development by requiring development to optimise land use through efficient forms of development which minimises energy demand, maximises energy efficiency and utilises renewable forms of energy;
7. support the delivery of renewable and low carbon energy schemes and innovative forms of infrastructure and land use which aid a transition to carbon neutrality; and
8. better protect and improve the island's green infrastructure to maintain and promote climate regulation.

Spatial strategy

Planning is of fundamental importance in delivering sustainable development in a changing global context. The development and use of land clearly has environmental implications. The desirability of using land efficiently and reducing, mitigating, and adapting to the impacts of climate change, and supporting a transition to carbon neutrality, must be a key consideration given the environmental challenges that we currently face.

If Jersey is to demonstrate a commitment to an environmental responsibility, it needs to continue

to develop a co-ordinated response to current environmental challenges that manages the island's limited resources –particularly land and buildings - in the most efficient and effective way that ensures the most sustainable pattern and form of development. This Island Plan seeks to balance a response to environmental challenges whilst meeting the community's economic and social needs through development and the use of land. It is a key tool in managing and directing how development can be sustainably accommodated in the island and this is most applicable to matters such as;

• the location of development to promote environmental, economic and social sustainability whilst seeking to minimise vulnerability to the effects of climate change, particularly flood risk;

• the efficient and effective use of resources, in particular energy, water, land and buildings;

• safeguarding productive agricultural land, in order to increase the security of local food supplies, whilst supporting the long-term maintenance of the agricultural industry, and diversification of the rural economy; and

• protecting the intrinsic value of the island's countryside, coast and marine environment.

To help deliver the most sustainable pattern of development, and to promote the most efficient use of land and buildings, the Island Plan's spatial strategy will focus much of the development activity over the plan period in the island's existing built-up areas.

Significant development and growth should be focused on those locations in the island which are, or can be made, sustainable and which are, or can be made, resilient to the impacts of climate change. This will be where there exists a greater range of facilities and services, limiting the need to travel, whilst offering genuine access to sustainable transport modes. This is informed by the development of a built-up area framework for the island which sets out a clear hierarchy for its urban areas, as shown in figure SP1.

Figure SP1: Settlement hierarchy

The classification of different parts of the island's built-up area, relative to the settlement hierarchy, is described below and defined on the proposals map.

Main centres

Town[1] has developed as the island's primary centre for commerce, shopping, housing and public services, benefiting from its location as the focus of Jersey's transport, social and economic infrastructure.

Town will continue to provide land and development opportunities to meet much of the island's development needs over the plan period. It will be the focus for new high quality residential and commercial development which provides an opportunity to make better use of already developed land, whilst creating better and more sustainable urban neighbourhoods and communities through improvements the public realm and community infrastructure. This focus will support the delivery

of the new St Helier Waterfront; ensure that we continue to enhance the vitality and viability of St Helier as a town centre; facilitate the delivery of key elements of strategic community infrastructure, such as the new hospital; whilst protecting the coast and countryside from development.

Les Quennevais[1] has developed as a secondary urban centre in the island, providing much residential accommodation supported by a good range of community, education and sports facilities, and a secondary island retail centre. As one of the island's main urban centres, Les Quennevais can continue to provide a focus for new development enabling investment and regeneration, and being supported as a sustainable alternative place for new development to happen, which might otherwise be located in St Helier by encouraging the redevelopment of already developed land and buildings at higher densities, and by accommodating a broader range of employment uses, such as the development of office accommodation (up to 200sqm).

Local centres

Within the built-up area framework there is a range of local centres[2], providing sustainable urban communities and places in which most of people's daily needs can be met within a short walk or cycle. This embraces traditional parish centres; historic harbour villages; suburban centres and some areas characterised by development along the south and east coast.

There is a need to protect the viability and vitality of Jersey's local centres and some new well- related development can enable and support the sustainable growth of local communities and help to sustain local schools, shops, pubs, public transport and other facets of parish life. There are opportunities for some growth and development of these areas to ensure their continued vitality and viability. This necessitates the release of some greenfield land to provide new opportunities for the development of affordable homes, supporting and enhancing the critical mass and diversity of the local community. Any such development in these areas will need to positively respond to its context in scale, character and use.

Some of the island's local centres are also important for parts of the island's economy where they provide specific land uses which support, for example, tourism, and the development of these sectors here will continue to be supported.

Smaller settlements

The remainder of the island's built-up area comprises a mixture of small, mostly suburban residential forms of development, often with little or no local facilities and services, where opportunities for development will be more limited[3].

Countryside, coast and the marine environment

Much of Jersey's coastline and marine environment remains undeveloped and beyond the built-up area boundaries there is a clear transition into open countryside. It is important that these undeveloped parts of Jersey's natural environment are protected for their intrinsic value; for the health and wellbeing, and recreation of islanders and visitors; and the island's economy.

The appearance of large parts of the island's countryside is, however, generally a result of the management of the land by those engaged in the rural economy and in particular, agriculture. Whilst the agricultural industry has gone through significant change, it is still very much regarded as the custodian of Jersey's countryside. It is important, from an environmental, economic, community and cultural perspective, that agriculture and the rural economy, in general, is supported and that development, where a countryside location is justified and appropriate, in scale, character and use, is facilitated.

Similar support is required for other forms of development which are related to the use of the countryside, coast, and the marine environment; or where it involves the reuse or redevelopment of already developed land and buildings in the countryside, where it is appropriate, justified and where its impact on the essential character and quality of the island's sensitive landscapes and seascapes is acceptable in planning terms.

Jersey's Coastal National Park is primarily a designation that is designed to protect its outstanding landscape and seascape character, along with its special heritage and biodiversity value. Coastal and rural development opportunity will be most limited in the Coastal National Park to protect its important and sensitive landscape and seascape character.

Making effective use of land

The plan promotes an efficient use of land in meeting the need for homes and other uses, while safeguarding and improving the quality of local environment, creating good places, and ensuring healthy living space. It will encourage the appropriate re-use or redevelopment of already developed or under-utilised land and buildings (for example converting space above shops and supporting development on car parks). In this respect, redundant and derelictglasshouses are considered to be temporary structures associated with the agricultural use of the land and are not considered to be brownfield land.

In seeking to secure the most efficient and effective use of land, the plan encourages and enables development at optimum levels of density. As a small island, with significant pressure and competition for the use of land, it is important that planning policies avoid homes being built at low densities in the island's built-up areas, making optimal use of a site's development potential. This must take into account the need for different types of homes, achieving high quality internal and external living spaces and ensuring there is sufficient capacity and accessibility of local community infrastructure and services that are required to support the development.

Land reclamation

In order to remain resilient to the impacts of the climate change, especially the risk of coastal flooding as a result of rising sea levels and the increasing frequency and severity of storm events, the Island Plan needs to enable the implementation of the Shoreline Management Plan[1]. This sets out policy options for the island's entire coastline, over three epochs covering a 100-year time period, and essentially seeks to protect the existing developed parts of the island's coastline at risk of coastal flooding. Along some parts of the coastline it is proposed that new coastal defences are developed in front of the existing coastal structures: the advance-the-line option. Where this option is pursued along the St Helier coastline, land reclamation may also present development opportunities.

The Island Plan will seek to enable the development of advance-the-line policy options for those parts of the Town's coastline most at risk from coastal flooding in the short-term. Any such

proposals will need to be subject to comprehensive environmental impact assessment to determine their detailed feasibility.

Policy SP2 – Spatial strategy

Development will be concentrated within the island's built-up area, as defined on the proposals map.

In particular, development will be focused within the island's primary main urban centre of Town which will accommodate much of the island's development needs. Development will also be focused within the secondary main urban centre of Les Quennevais.

More limited development will take place within the island's local centres, with the scale of development related to local community need and context, as well as support for some parts of the island's economy. In order to support their vitality and sustainable growth, some limited expansion of local centres will take place, where sites are identified in the Island Plan.

In smaller settlements, development will be much more limited.

Outside the defined built-up area, within the countryside, around the coast and in the island's marine environment, development will only be supported where a coast or countryside location is justified, appropriate and necessary in its location. Development in the Coastal National Park will be very limited to protect its outstanding landscape and seascape character.

The appropriate development of previously developed land and of under-utilised land and buildings will be supported. In particular, development which makes the most efficient use of land, and which optimises the density of development, will be encouraged.

Proposals for land reclamation will be supported where they provide an appropriate response to increase the Town's resilience to the impact of climate change and where their environmental impacts are acceptable or can be appropriately managed and/or mitigated.

Placemaking

Jersey's distinctive character and identity is created not only by its celebrated coastline, countryside and heritage but its urban environments and the buildings and places from which they are made. We must ensure that new development not only provides us with buildings, spaces and the

essential community infrastructure that we need, but that it also helps to create a sustainable, attractive and safe environment from which we can all benefit, including children and people with disabilities and chronic health conditions, as well as older members of our community. New development should respond to local character, help to maintain and enhance our sense of place, and be recognisable as development that is distinct and related to its locality and the island.

Placemaking is fundamental to this. It is a process and way of thinking aimed at achieving better quality places as the physical setting for life in our urban and rural environments. It requires development to respond to the context of a place, through an understanding of its evolution, functionality and character; the needs of the local community; and the impact that it has on everything that surrounds it. Ultimately, good placemaking helps to ensure that we can provide a high-quality environment for everyone, promoting health, happiness and wellbeing, whilst creating opportunity for sustainable economic activity, attracting residents, visitors and investment, and better managing our natural environment and resources.

The key to achieving better places for all islanders is to make sure that the planning policy framework for managing development, delivering community infrastructure, protecting the unique identity of the island and its settlements, and conserving and protecting both natural and built assets is tailored to deliver these objectives.

Local communities can play a key role in achieving well-designed places and buildings including

the relationship between the built environment and quality of life. Designers and developers are encouraged to actively engage with local communities so they can play a role in shaping development proposals and be involved in design processes. To further promote placemaking the plan sets out policies to improve the quality of design, ensure wellbeing in new development, aid healthy and sustainable communities and improve community participation in shaping and caring for the places where they live. Delivering these outcomes can be secured through the planning process and the tools available to it, including the use of targeted planning obligation agreements.

Policy SP3 – Placemaking

All development must reflect and enhance the unique character and function of the place where it is located. New development must contribute to the creation of aesthetically pleasing, safe and durable places that positively influence community health and wellbeing outcomes, and will be supported where:

1. it is responsive to its context to ensure the maintenance and enhancement of identity, character and the sense of place;
2. it is environmentally responsible and sustainable through optimisation of resource efficiency;
3. it enhances and optimises the provision of green infrastructure by integrating existing and incorporating new natural features into a multifunctional green network that supports the quality of place;
4. it achieves the highest standards of accessible and inclusive design, is well connected,

and creates successful and comfortable public and private spaces, active frontages, streets and links for all, that work as social spaces, supporting wellbeing and healthy

living, and enabling successful integration into a place;

5. it makes provision for all modes of transport in a way that prioritises and supports active travel choices, and where such provision is well-integrated into the development;
6. residential development provides housing types and tenures that reflect local housing need and market demand, designed and planned for the long-term; and provides good quality internal environments that are comfortable, resilient and adaptable;
7. it is appropriate relative to the capacity of the local community and social infrastructure; and it supports and enables the provision of new or enhanced facilities, where necessary, to enable communities to thrive; and
8. where required, it has been informed by engagement with the local community.

Protecting and promoting island identity

Jersey is a small island nation with an unusually rich cultural heritage, including its own language; a rare degree of legal and political independence; and a unique sense of place derived from its natural, physical and built environment. These qualities imbue the island with a strong sense of identity.

Understanding Jersey's distinctive identity and heritage is a critical step in the process of helping people to fully engage with it and care for it. It is important that awareness of, access to, and

education about our unique and diverse culture is promoted and is accessible to all islanders and visitors regardless of their background.

In 2019, the Chief Minister established the Island Identity Policy Development Board to look afresh at Jersey's distinctive qualities and to explore how they might be best protected, nurtured and promoted. This reflects the strategic priority of Government to protect and value our environment, to retain its sense of place, culture and distinctive local identity, and for the island to enhance its international profile. The Island Identity Policy Development Board's interim findings[1] support the development of a stronger, broader and distinctive sense of identity for Jersey, both within and outside the island, in support of the delivery of a number of goals prioritised by Government.

Providing education about and promoting awareness of the island's heritage, providing access to the arts, and celebrating the island's cultural diversity, all make an important contribution to maintaining our unique identity, whilst supporting islanders' quality of life and sense of wellbeing. Protecting and promoting a strong local cultural identity can also help foster stronger social and community cohesion, regardless of where people or their families come from. It can also provide a broader, more assured and distinct platform for the island to engage internationally, to sustain and grow economic opportunity in commerce and tourism, particularly in the face of Brexit and a post- Covid recovery.

The Island Plan has an important role to play in helping to protect and promote island identity, and Jersey's heritage is an integral part of this. Our heritage includes a variety of features, evidence and traditions surviving from the past. The most obvious heritage features benefit from formal designation[2] as listed buildings and places and, in the near future, conservation areas. Our landscapes and seascapes, the most valued of which are embraced by the Coastal National Park,

are also integral to our sense of identity and place. The setting of listed buildings and places, townscapes, seascapes and landscapes, including important views and vistas, can be just as important as the recognised value of local placenames, customs, memories and oral histories. Our heritage gives the island a distinctive look and feel, engages islanders inclusively in shared experiences and activities, articulates and disseminates credible cultural stories about Jersey and its place in the world, and attracts visitors to the island. Our historic environment must, therefore, be conserved, protected and, where possible, improved to sustain its heritage value for future generations to enjoy.

Heritage also has intrinsic value and is a fragile resource which, once lost, is gone for ever. Most heritage can be adapted and altered to suit new uses and modern needs but some, such as archaeology, is very sensitive to change. Any development will need to protect and value heritage for its own sake.

Whilst our historic environment plays a significant role in defining the island's character, the community's sense-of place is also significantly influenced by the quality of new development and local places which form the backdrop to the daily life of many islanders. It is, therefore, important that new buildings and the public realm in Jersey positively contributes to the built environment, reflecting and celebrating the distinctiveness of the island in its form, materials, function and finishes. New buildings and spaces should also demonstrate an understanding of their context and be mindful and respectful of it, both in urban, rural, coastal and marine settings.

Our island identity also matters for our future economic success. A major aspect of Jersey's identity has been formed by the production and global export of high-quality local produce – ranging from

knitwear, to cows and dairy produce, potatoes and seafood. The recognition that this brings to the island is considered to be hugely important to the identity and regard in which the island is held in a competitive global marketplace. It is also key to the island's role as a tourist destination, where

the value of heritage and culture is important to marketing and the attractiveness of the island as a destination. The extent to which development may contribute to the island's cultural values, in

terms of both its local and international identity, should form part of and be material to the decision-making process.

The island's creative industries are also important in sustaining and nurturing local culture and identity and can help support economic growth and diversification. These smaller but important small- to medium-sized enterprises can have a significant role in supporting the local economy. The Island Plan can contribute by offering support for diversification, mixed-use schemes, and developing space and places for smaller cultural start-up business. The plan will also require the provision of public art, through the development process, to secure an artistic input into the design of buildings and places to enhance its local relevance and its relationship with place.

Our identity is also expressed through our language, art and cultural activity and it is important that the Island Plan protects and supports the maintenance and enhancement of the associated cultural infrastructure, in terms of the buildings, venues and performance spaces, that are required to support this aspect of island life.

Policy SP4 – Protecting and promoting island identity

The protection and promotion of the island's identity will be given a high priority by ensuring that:

• all development should protect or improve the historic environment. Any development that affects a listed building and/or place, or conservation area, and their settings, will need to protect or improve the site or area and its setting, in accordance with its significance;

• all development should respect the landscape, seascape or townscape character of the area in which it is proposed to be located, and make a positive contribution to the local character and distinctiveness of a place;

• the provision of public art, through the development process, is sought;

• existing cultural infrastructure is protected and the enhancement of its provision supported;

• the provision of new or enhanced cultural facilities to support and grow the island's cultural and creative industries, and to support the island's cultural diversity, is encouraged; and

• economic development, which serves to strengthen and contribute positively to Jersey's local and international identity, will be supported.

Protecting and improving the natural environment

Jersey's countryside, coast and marine environment are unique and precious assets, which are treasured by islanders and attract visitors from across the world. The natural environment has

inherent landscape and seascape character, as well as biodiversity[1] and geodiversity[2] value, that requires protection, maintenance and, where appropriate, improvement.

Jersey's natural environment, including its biodiversity and geodiversity, provides vital natural capital and benefits for people – called ecosystem services – which are vital to the functioning of the island. Ecosystem services are classified into four categories- provisioning, regulatory, supporting and cultural – and each of Jersey's distinct landscapes and seascapes is home to a specific combination of natural capital and ecosystem services.

• provisioning services describe the material and energy outputs provided by ecosystems.

• regulatory services relate to the influences of specific landscape characteristics on hydrological, climatic and other natural systems. This is particularly important in the context of climate change and in safeguarding the future resilience of natural systems.

• supporting ecosystem services are those necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services. Some examples include biomass production, production of atmospheric oxygen, soil formation and retention, nutrient cycling, water cycling, and provisioning of habitat.

• cultural ecosystem services refer to the benefits that people gain from interaction with the natural environment as a setting for physical activities, recreation, and education.

The development and use of land and water, consumption of natural resources and energy, and movement around the island has an impact on the island's stock of natural capital and the way that its ecosystem services function. Management decisions affecting ecosystems and natural capital will, therefore, impact on the future provision of ecosystem services in the island and its marine environment, so they need to be considered in decision-making about development and the use of land/water through the planning system.

The natural environment also makes a significant contribution to the economy, directly and indirectly, through recreation, tourism, agriculture and aquaculture. It also provides less tangible benefits, for example, it has scientific, cultural, spiritual, health and wellbeing and aesthetic value. The protection of the natural environment and addressing the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, are identified as key priorities in the Government's strategic policy.[3].

The pressures on the natural environment - terrestrial and marine – are, however, significant. Landscape and seascapes are dynamic, under constant pressure from natural processes, but increasingly influenced by human activities. Globally over a quarter of assessed animal and plant species are threatened, and around one million species already face extinction, unless action is taken to reduce biodiversity loss.

The greatest challenge presented to the natural environment is that of climate change; Jersey is facing a climate emergency – as recognised by the declaration of a Climate Emergency in Jersey in May 2019. With increased global temperatures, rising sea levels, increased wave heights and increased occurrence and severity of extreme weather events will come significant changes to the way that the natural environment looks and functions. Climate change will impact on crop choice, potentially affecting the appearance and character of the countryside. It will provide suitable

conditions for a range of tree pests and diseases, with oak and ash trees particularly vulnerable. Marine areas will experience a change in sea temperatures, water acidity and water circulation patterns which are likely to impact on the marine environment and its habitats. The rate of climate change predicted exceeds the rate at which the island's ecosystems are capable of change.

On top of this global challenge are more local challenges. Perhaps most obvious is the pressure for development of land – particularly for housing. Development can have a significant impact on visual character if poorly sited and badly designed. Some areas, such as escarpment slopes, are particularly sensitive as they are visible in long-range views across the island. Other development can introduce urban features into rural parts of the island, harming their character. Poorly designed development can also harm biodiversity and influence natural processes, such as flooding.

The global coronavirus pandemic has altered the pressures on the natural environment associated with activities, such as travel, recreation, domestic and overseas tourism. It has also raised the value placed on the natural environment and its intrinsic relationship with health and well-being.

Recognising the breadth of benefits provided by the natural environment, the Island Plan seeks to protect and improve the intrinsic natural beauty of Jersey provided by the character of its landscapes and seascapes, and its biodiversity and geodiversity. Since the publication of the 2011 Island Plan, further research has been undertaken to better understand and more comprehensively quantify the character, biodiversity and geodiversity value of the natural environment, and to provide the evidence needed for robust protection policies[1].

There is, however, a need for the island to change and adapt to meet the community's needs. In light of these pressures, whilst recognising the intrinsic value of the whole Bailiwick of Jersey, this plan affords the most significant protection to those parts of it with the highest aesthetic quality or biodiversity and geodiversity value. By employing a hierarchical approach and directing development to the least sensitive and vulnerable areas, a sustainable future for the island can be ensured. The plan also recognises the need to improve the island's stock of natural capital – in

urban as well as rural, coastal and marine environments - and to support the growth of the island's green infrastructure, and to protect and improve the value of its biodiversity, geodiversity,

landscape and seascape character.

The careful use of resources of the natural environment – the countryside, coast and seas and associated biodiversity and geodiversity - is fundamental to deliver sustainable development. This principle is particularly important given the multiple issues and challenges faced by the natural environment, including the potentially far-reaching impacts of climate change. This Island Plan sets out policies that support its wise use to bring about a balance between development, economic activity and environmental protection.

Policy SP5 - Protecting and improving the natural environment

The protection and improvement of the island's natural environment, its landscapes, coastline, seascapes, biodiversity, and geodiversity, is a high priority. These considerations will be material in the determination of planning applications.

Development proposals will need to demonstrate how they will protect or improve the quality, character, diversity and distinctiveness of the island's landscapes, coastlines, and seascapes, in a manner commensurate with its identified quality.

All development should contribute to and improve the natural environment of the area in which it is to be located. Development will avoid, minimise, mitigate or compensate for significant impacts on terrestrial and marine habitats and ecosystems and should, wherever possible, improve local environmental conditions.

Any development that could affect a designated or protected site or area of biodiversity or geodiversity value, whether within or outside it, will need to protect or improve the site or area, in accordance with its significance.

Development that would improve the natural environment, including proposals for green infrastructure and a better-connected green network, will be supported.

Sustainable island economy

The prosperity of the island, and the public services on which we rely, depends on a sustainable, productive and diverse economy, underpinned by a skilled local workforce to serve it.

Jersey has a rich economic history, based on agriculture and fisheries, tourism and the now- dominant international financial and legal services sectors. Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic has, however, created considerable uncertainty for the long-term future shape and performance of the island's economy. Both events have been a catalyst for change and innovation, accelerating the use of technology and altering the way we all live, work, travel and do business. It is too early to tell the extent to which the changes experienced from these events will be permanent.

For Jersey's economy to flourish, the Economic Council's recent report[1] considers that the island needs regeneration, having regard to both the infrastructure and quality of life that it can offer. It suggests that Jersey's infrastructure – including public buildings, and the public estate that supports sporting and cultural facilities, utilities and the digital environment – needs to be fit for our future needs. This will require investing in St Helier to make it a more desirable place to live, work, do business and visit, and means:

• supporting the maintenance of a productive and diverse economy, encouraging the development of a local market for goods and services;

• promoting and enabling small footprint/high value business, and fostering innovation;

• enabling the creation of attractive and rewarding sustainable employment opportunities; and

• supporting and enabling the development and enhancement of local skills and training in order to reduce the reliance on in-migration.

The bridging Island Plan seeks to further these ambitions, support the island's economic recovery and boost economic productivity. It can also ensure the planning framework provides sufficient

flexibility to enable the island to respond to changing circumstances that support our transition to carbon neutrality, increasing productivity, and attractiveness as an international island economy, and to enable innovation to take place once the pandemic has eased and the implications of Brexit are better known. It also provides time to take stock and plan for the longer-term needs of the economy in a way that is sustainable so that they can be addressed in a subsequent Island Plan Review.

Skills and education are core to maximising the island's productivity, developing a workforce fit for the island's future employment needs and enabling all islanders to benefit and share in our prosperity. Access to skills training improves the quality of islanders' lives and provides greater access to higher value employment opportunities. It also maximises our ability to meet our own skill needs which, over time, will reduce our reliance on economic related in-migration and manage the pressures that this brings on housing, infrastructure and services.

The planning system plays a critical role in protecting and facilitating the use of land and buildings that support economic activity, whilst providing sufficient flexibility for businesses to innovate, adapt and evolve in response to changing circumstances; it also enables the provision of the infrastructure required to support new development and a good quality of life.

Access to appropriate land for employment uses in Jersey is constrained and needs to be balanced against competing demands for other uses of land, such as new homes, and supporting infrastructure for education, health care and open space. It is, therefore, vital that the Island Plan protects land for employment uses and provides flexibility to enable employment land and buildings to adapt to the changing requirements of the island's economy.

In the countryside, the Island Plan safeguards productive agricultural land in order to increase the security of local food supplies, whilst supporting the long-term maintenance of the agricultural industry, and diversification of the rural economy. It also supports the maintenance and growth of the island's fishing and aquaculture industries.

Policy SP6 – Sustainable island economy

A high priority will be given to the creation and maintenance of a sustainable, productive and diverse economy, with support for new and existing businesses, particularly where they encourage the development of a local market for goods and services, attract small footprint/high value business and foster innovation.

In particular, there will be support for:

• the protection and maintenance of existing employment land and floorspace for employment-related uses;

• the redevelopment of vacant and under-used existing employment land and floorspace for employment uses;

• the provision of sufficient land and development opportunities, in the right places, for new and employment uses;

• economic development that: supports and enhances the vitality and viability of Town as a place to shop, work, do business and visit; helps regenerate Les Quennevais; and supports and responds to local retail needs in other local centres;

• development which can help to maintain and enhance a sustainable rural economy, where a rural or coastal location is justified, and where it protects the character of the landscape and seascape, and high-quality agricultural land.

A high priority will be given to the development of the hard and soft infrastructure required to support and facilitate innovation, productivity, diversification and the development and enhancement of skills across all sectors of the economy, where this infrastructure is proven to be in the long-term interests of a sustainable island economy and will enable the creation of attractive and rewarding employment opportunities.

Planning for community needs

Meeting the needs of the community is at the heart of the planning system in Jersey, and the Island Plan must provide for the orderly, comprehensive and sustainable development of land in a manner that best serves the interests of the community[1].

Central to meeting the needs of our community is ensuring that everyone has a safe and secure place that they can call home. To create strong, healthy and sustainable communities, this primary need must be fulfilled. The Island Plan seeks to ensure that all islanders can access a home which is suited to their needs, enabling the location, size, tenure and affordability of new homes in a way that is responsive to current and future housing needs. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted

how extremely important it is for homes to have good living and space standards, both inside and out, and for this space to be adaptable to different needs. The plan also recognises that new homes must be of a design that is sustainable and that this must be achieved by ensuring that new homes are built at optimal densities, relative to where the development is taking place.

Homes alone, however, do not create sustainable communities. In all its guises, infrastructure forms an essential pillar within our society and continued investment is necessary to ensure islanders can access high quality services and facilities that will support healthy and enriched lives. To respond to this, the Island Plan makes specific provision for key infrastructure projects, such as safeguarding land for the development of Our Hospital[2], educational use and sports and leisure developments, whilst also prioritising sustainable and active travel and softer measures, such as open space

provision, and ensuring that the needs of children can be met through specific provisions for play space. There is also a need to promote the intangible qualities of community life, such as ensuring that development supports people in feeling like they belong to their locality or neighbourhood, where they can get to know their neighbour, and live without fear of crime.

The plan plays a key role in supporting the health and wellbeing of islanders, whilst also identifying and managing development that has the potential to pose a risk to health and wellbeing, or which may arise from other land uses or processes and changes in the natural environment. Planning policies must, therefore, be robust in preventing, or be capable of properly managing exposure to both land-use related and natural environmental risks, taking account of flood risk, road safety and potential emissions from different types of development, such as noise.

Jersey has an increasingly diverse community with different needs and makes a commitment to inclusivity, and to putting children first. In taking a holistic and proactive approach to supporting the community through the Island Plan we can fulfil the need to create an environment in which all islanders can flourish, with opportunities available to all, to create a fairer and more equitable society, and one where our children can thrive.

Policy SP7 – Planning for community needs

All new development must be able to demonstrate that it is helping to meet the identified needs of our community, both in the short and long-term. In particular:

• residential development must make a positive contribution to the island's housing stock, by delivering homes at optimal densities in sustainable locations, of the right type, tenure and size;

• new homes must be of a good design, standard and specification that is capable of adaptation to meet the changing needs of individuals and families;

• the design of new development should contribute to the sense of place; and support and enable the creation of sustainable communities where people can know their neighbours and have a sense of belonging;

• development must make a contribution to physical infrastructure or community facilities where improvements are identified as necessary to meet an impact arising from the development;

• development must be located and designed to avoid environmental risks and, where necessary, demonstrate how measures to minimise and mitigate any impacts arising from identified environmental risks have been incorporated, as far as reasonably practicable;

• development must be designed in a way that reduces the potential for crime and the fear of crime; and

• new or improved public infrastructure will be supported where it is required and will be resilient to future, changing needs.

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Volume 2: Strategic Framework Places

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Places

The Places chapter of the Island Plan seeks to do two things. First, to help islanders navigate the plan by signposting the key policies that relate to development and the management of change in

a particular area. Second, and more significantly, it outlines the nature and extent of development that is planned for different parts of the island to meet the community's development needs over the plan period. The Places chapter sets the context for how the different policies of the Island Plan will apply, relative to where development is proposed to take place, including all of the built-up

area, the countryside, coast and the island's marine environment, out to territorial limits.

Both the 2002 and 2011 Island Plans described a single built-up area (BUA) within which, and having regard to other policies, development was supported. The nature of these built-up areas as places varies significantly, from Town, to suburban settings, and historic parish centres.

The spatial strategy for this plan[1] establishes a new settlement hierarchy for Jersey that better recognises and responds to the scale and character of different places within the BUA.

Figure PL1: Settlement hierarchy

Significantly, the chapter sets out a strategic Plan for Town, establishing a framework of eight strategic concepts which are intended to guide and inform both individual developments and planning applications, but also the evolution of Town as a coherent whole, in a way that works for town residents, other islanders and the business interests that are based there. As the plan makes clear, only by securing the sustainable development of Town can the sustainable development of the island be secured.

The chapter also sets out overarching place-based policies and signposts to other relevant policies and proposals in the Island Plan, for:

• Les Quennevais

• local centres[1]

• smaller settlements[2]

• Jersey's countryside, coast and the marine environment

This chapter is an important aspect of the bridging Island Plan. It presents a strategic approach that is intended to inform future long-term Island Plans and a framework that can be supplemented as new place-based planning policy and proposals are developed in future years. In particular, the Strategic Proposal 4 (development of a West of Island planning framework) is intended to provide the basis for an expanded policy response for Les Quennevais and related places; and Strategic Proposal 3 (creation of a Marine Spatial Plan) is intended to provide a comprehensive and integrated plan for the island's marine environment, to inform the next Island Plan.

Plan for Town

The island's primary urban centre exists as an integrated built-up area across much of the parish of St Helier, and parts of St Saviour and St Clement, and is referred to in the Island Plan as Town'. This area has become the island's main centre and its development and establishment as such is linked to its historic role in changing and adapting to the island's social and economic growth. The extent of Town is defined on the proposals map. It extends from and embraces Grève D'Azette in the east, first Tower in the west, and up to Mont à L'Abbé, Vallée des Vaux and St Saviour's Hill in the north. Its southern edge is where it meets the sea.

Town will continue to provide land and development opportunities to meet most of the island's development needs over the plan period in its role as the island's primary centre for economic activity and growth; government functions and services; retailing; hospitality; tourism and culture. This role includes the need to provide for the delivery of some key elements of strategic public infrastructure, such as the new hospital, and it will remain the focus for new residential and commercial development.

Planning for the future of Town is critical to the sustainable development of the island in the widest sense, having regard to environmental, economic and social issues. However, recent surveys[3] show that only 36% of people living in St Helier are satisfied with their local neighbourhood, compared to 63% living in suburban parishes, and 81% of people living in rural parishes. It is important that Town residents can enjoy access to the same amenity and facilities - including access to open space, schools and community facilities - which other parts of the island might benefit from.

In the face of development pressure, it is essential that the new Island Plan is used as a tool to plan positively for change. It must enable and facilitate the development that new and existing town residents - and the wider island community - want and need, so that Town can develop in an enduring and sustainable way. The Island Plan aims to support Town to grow in a way which enhances and complements its character and identity; where people have a good living environment and neighbourhood, with access to open space and community facilities; and it becomes a place of choice to live.

To do this, the Plan for Town has been developed as an integral part of the Island Plan, to provide a comprehensive framework to enable and manage its future development.

St Helier's urban environment is complex and rich; and similarly faces a range of multifaceted challenges and issues. In order that the Island Plan might best respond to thse, the Plan for Town has been developed around three themes of vibrancy, growth and sustainability. Within each theme, a series of concept statements are set out to complement relevant policies and to guide the more coherent development of Town.

A vibrant town

A vibrant town focuses on three strategic concepts to connect, enliven and enhance Town:

• Connect Town: promote active travel journeys and enhanced public realm

• Enliven Town: the town centre, professional services and digital

• Enhance Town: the liveability of homes and neighbourhoods

Figure PL2 – Plan for Town: a vibrant town

Concept statement – connect Town

Promote active travel journeys and enhanced public realm

The chance to connect with new people, places and opportunities lies at the heart of what makes urban environments exciting and vibrant. As the island's capital, St Helier sits at the heart of a web of connections and networks that stretch across Jersey.

In one important way though, there are some key connections that can be improved in Town.

There is increasing recognition that the dominance of vehicular traffic on the town's roads not only creates congestion, blocking our connections to each other, but also has wider negative impacts on our built and natural environment, and on the character of Town. When set against the challenges

of climate change and the growing problems of sedentary lifestyles and increasing levels of obesity in the population, particularly children, there is a clear need to review the use and priority afforded

to different modes of travel through the network of town roads and streets.

In preparing the Island Plan the current and potential future function of St Helier's roads has been critically appraised to assess each road's role in enabling movement, as well as its characteristics as a place.

The St Helier Public Realm and Movement Strategy[1] recommends a reprioritisation of streets in favour of safe and efficient travel by walking, cycling and other active modes; enhancements to the vibrancy of key commercial areas; steps to ensure servicing and logistics can operate efficiently;

and opportunities to create social interaction, creativity and play.

The strategy sets out four key concepts to improve connection in Town and deliver these objectives, creating a future town in which:

• the current degree of severance caused by the Ring Road is addressed through a range of interventions, including responding to the challenges presented by the Esplanade and Route de la Liberation, as well as wider Ring Road connectivity;

• more liveable neighbourhoods are created, allowing residents to reclaim ownership of the public realm;

• there is a growing, vibrant core that prioritises pedestrian activity within the cultural and economic heart of St. Helier , whilst enabling the essential servicing and logistics of the town centre;

• an active travel network is embedded, designating routes of a particular character that enable and encourage safe travel by walking, cycling, and other active modes. This will seek to establish key travel corridors for active travel which links key destinations with connections into town, including the bus station, car parks, schools, open spaces and other public/community facilities. The plan also proposes new ways to better connect town residents with the countryside in and around the town including: Grands Vaux; Vallée des Vaux; Fern Valley; and La Blinerie.

To ensure that new development supports the connect Town concept, Island Plan policies and proposals on travel and transport and countryside access, in particular, will be applied and developed having regard to the need to promote active travel journeys and enhanced public realm in Town.

The CONNECT TOWN concept statement is reflected in a range of detailed policies and proposals, including the following:

• Policy CI9 – Countryside access and awareness

• Proposal – Access to Grands Vaux Reservoir and valley

• Policy TT1 – Integrated safe and inclusive travel

• Policy TT2 – Active travel

• Policy TT3 – Bus service improvement

• Proposal – Active travel network

• Proposal – Public realm works programme

Concept statement – enliven Town

The town centre, professional services and digital

An enormous change has taken place in retail in recent years. The traditional pattern of making purchases in physical stores has been profoundly disrupted by the growth of online shopping, a phenomenon which has been accelerated by the impact of the pandemic. Whilst St Helier may

have been less affected by this trend, it is still an issue for retailing in Jersey, and the Island Plan needs to respond to help the town centre adapt.

With online shopping set to continue to grow, town centre retail needs to carve out a distinct role, focusing on providing experience' and convenience'; and it is also likely that traditional retail use will make up a smaller part of the town centre offer. In this respect, the Island Plan allows greater flexibility for the town centre to embrace a wider range of uses and activities based on experiential' uses, social and community interactions, rather than just shopping. This needs to be accompanied by an improvement to the town's public realm to create a more attractive environment in which to spend time.

To ensure that the primary retail core remains active and vibrant its spatial extent is condensed, focused on the primary shopping frontages, with an enlarged town centre providing and supporting complementary retail activity along with recreation, cultural and leisure uses. These other uses around the retail core will help to support and sustain the vitality and vibrancy of St Helier town centre as a whole.

The impact of the pandemic upon ways of working and economic performance, as well as Brexit, means that it is unclear whether pre-Covid trends for town centre office space and use will continue. This Island Plan affords an opportunity for this be monitored and reviewed, as necessary, ahead of adopting any appropriate longer-term policies in the subsequent Island Plan Review. Provision and flexibility exists for the provision of further grade A office accommodation in and around the waterfront, where the market requires this.

Jersey has seen a growth in the cluster of digital sectors around the eastern end of St Helier and around the waterfront, largely making use of secondary office accommodation. The Island Plan seeks to support the digital sector by helping to manage the evolution of secondary office stock in Town to ensure accessible office space remains available to early stage and growing digital businesses.

Daytime and evening economy uses in St Helier, including restaurants, bars, clubs and cafés, are important for islanders and visitors alike, and their provision will be supported throughout a broadened town centre. St Helier's role as the island's cultural hub will also be supported and its further development enabled.

The ENLIVEN TOWN concept statement is reflected in a range of detailed policies and proposals, including the following:

• Policy ER1 – Retail and town centre uses

• Policy ER4 – Daytime and evening economy uses

• Policy ER5 – Meanwhile retail and town centre uses

• Policy EO1 – Existing and new office accommodation

• Policy CI5 – Sports, leisure and cultural facilities

• Policy TT2 – Active travel

• Proposal – Active travel network

• Proposal – Public realm works programme

To ensure that new development supports the enliven Town concept, Island Plan policies and proposals on retail, office use and daytime and evening economy uses, in particular, will be applied and developed having regard to the need to promote and support the town centre, professional services and digital in Town.

Concept statement – enhance Town

The liveability of homes and neighbourhoods

The way new homes are accommodated in existing town neighbourhoods will be key to making Town a more attractive place to live. There is concern that the density of residential development has been increasing rapidly without sufficient consideration about how to create socially successful communities in the long term. Very high density can challenge successful placemaking and liveability policy objectives, sometimes resulting in poor quality development[1]. If higher density implies concentrating on smaller units with smaller rooms this is not building for the future and will not help to ensure sustainable communities and acceptable living standards[2].

Concept statement 4 of the Plan for Town recognises the need to integrate more and higher density development in town, in order to meet the strategic objectives of the Island Plan. In doing so, focus must be given to the need to enhance the liveability of these new homes and the neighbourhoods they help create.

Success in this regard will, in many ways, be determined by the quality of the internal design of new homes and access to and the availability of external space. As density and height increase, these factors become more important and greater scrutiny is needed to maintain the quality of high density and high-rise living8. Nothing will work without better design and greater flexibility of internal space - as well as more space per person.7 Enhancing existing and new neighbourhoods also requires development of a range of accommodation types and sizes to meet the island's housing needs, and to create mixed and more sustainable communities; this means providing larger residential units that are capable of accommodating families, and not just one- or two- bedroom flats.

People, and especially children, need access to safe and convenient open space, at home and nearby, as well as being able to get to the coast or the countryside. Access to allotments can also be important for people without gardens of their own.

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has highlighted the importance of the liveability' of places, and the idea that good neighbourhoods are those where most of people's daily needs can be met within a short walk or cycle. The benefits of this approach - known as the '20 minute neighbourhood'9 - are multiple: people become more active in the way they travel, improving their mental and physical health; traffic is reduced, and air quality improved; local shops and businesses thrive; and people see more of their neighbours, strengthening their sense of community.

To ensure that new development supports the enhance Town concept, Island Plan policies and proposals on design quality, community support infrastructure, and the provision and enhancement of open space and play space, in particular, will be applied and developed having regard to the need to improve the liveability of homes and neighbourhoods in Town.

The ENHANCE concept statement is reflected in a range of detailed policies and proposals, including the following:

• Policy GD6 – Design quality

• Policy H1 – Housing quality and design

• Policy H4 – Meeting housing needs

• Proposal – Design for homes

• Policy CI4 – Community facilities and community support infrastructure

• Policy CI6 – Provision and enhancement of open space

• Policy CI8 – Space for children and play

• Policy C10 – Allotments

• Policy TT2 – Active travel

A growing town

A growing town focuses on two strategic concepts to introduce and integrate Town:

• Integrate Town - more and higher density development

• Introduce to Town - new public infrastructure and assets

Figure PL3 – Plan for Town: a growing town

Concept Statement – integrate Town

More and higher density development

The Island Plan Preferred Strategy[1] proposed a housing delivery of 3,750 homes by 2025. Of these, it is expected that around 45%, or c.1,700 homes, would be provided in Town.

To accommodate growth in Town in a responsible way, every new development needs to make the most efficient use of land. This will often mean developing at densities above those of the surrounding area. A design-led approach to optimising density is required that should be based on an evaluation of the site's attributes, its surrounding context and capacity for growth, and the most

appropriate development form, in order that development can have a positive impact on the local community and the environment.

Jersey is not alone in seeking to deliver more efficient forms of urban development: planning policy in the UK has sought to deliver increased numbers of homes in towns and cities and to secure a balance between higher density housing and quality of life. It can be harder for very high-density development to deliver a positive response to context, successful placemaking and liveability aspirations, sometimes resulting in poor quality development[1]. If higher density just results in smaller units with smaller rooms; a lack of communal space; and an unattractive neighbourhood where buildings are over-scaled and out of context; and where people's quality of life is poor, this is not a sustainable approach to building for the future, and can contribute to long-term and

recurrent challenges for local communities and public services. To engender sustainable communities, it is also important that there is a range of homes available to meet different housing needs, and not an over-concentration of one particular form of accommodation, such as one- or two-bed flats.

In seeking a managed and sustainable increase in density within Town it is particularly important to carefully manage the contribution that taller buildings will make. Taller buildings can make a contribution to the sustainable densification of Town, where they are carefully located and designed in context, and particularly where they are deployed as part of neighbourhood-scale interventions that also make use of mid- and low-rise housing elements.. Carefully crafted medium- rise developments can also achieve higher densities in areas that are not suited to taller buildings and can often deliver better amenity for residents, providing a human-scale and family-friendly environment and making a positive contribution to townscape character.

Some parts of Town offer opportunities for more significant increases in density than others; these are areas with fewer contextual constraints and larger development sites where there is potential for new development to define its own setting. The refreshed St Helier Urban Character Appraisal[2] has undertaken a sensitivity analysis to determine where the urban environment is best able to accommodate more dense and taller forms of development.

Based on this, the Island Plan establishes a density policy, which will be supported, through the preparation of supplementary planning guidance, with minimum standards and guidance for different parts of Town. A robust, design-led tall buildings policy also aims to ensure that high quality taller buildings might be accommodated in the most appropriate locations and contexts in Town, whilst guarding against the very real risks that can stem from over-development, and/or unsympathetic development of taller buildings in inappropriate locations.

To ensure that new development supports the integrate Town concept, the Island Plan contains a number of policies and proposals which cover housing density, housing needs, tall buildings and skyline, views and vistas, in particular. These policies will be read together to ensure that new development can successfully achieve more and higher density development in Town.

The INTEGRATE TOWN concept statement is reflected in a range of detailed policies and proposals, including the following:

• Policy GD6 – Design quality

• Policy GD7 – Tall buildings

• Policy GD9 – Skyline, views and vistas

• Policy H2 – Housing density

• Policy H4 – Meeting housing needs

• Proposal – Minimum density standards

Concept Statement – introduce to Town

New public infrastructure and assets

Town is home to many key public buildings and services and will see the introduction of new and regenerated public infrastructure over the period of this Island Plan.

Most significant amongst these is the project to deliver a new hospital for the island. The Island Plan identifies and safeguards the site at Overdale as the new location for the island's general hospital[1].

Other key changes for Town and its supporting community infrastructure will include:

• a review of the education estate to ensure that the needs of education can be better met now and into the future, particularly for primary schools in Town;

• the delivery of new and enhanced sporting facilities, enabling the decant and regeneration of Fort Regent;

• the continued delivery of the St Helier Waterfront, creating a new quarter for the town; and

• improvements to the road and pedestrian network, supporting safer, more sustainable and active movement across and around Town.

To help deliver the number of homes required over the plan period, particularly affordable homes, it is essential that a number of sites in public ownership are brought forward for development. These will be delivered through the Island Public Estate Strategy[2] and are identified in the Island Plan in order to help demonstrate that the plan is able to deliver the homes that are required; and to also ensure that the associated community infrastructure can be enhanced or provided in the right locations. As the island's principal urban centre, a strategic extension of Town, to the north, can also help provide more affordable homes and a range of different housing types for town residents, especially families.

The Minister for the Environment has already published supplementary planning guidance for parts of the town to encourage and enable development opportunities to meet the island's needs. The plan supports the delivery of the objectives of the South West St Helier Planning Framework,[3] and

the North of Town Masterplan,[1] both of which provide opportunity for new development and regeneration.

The Minister for the Environment is also cognisant of the work that has been undertaken to prepare the Port of St Helier Masterplan. This sets out some key objectives to ensure that the operation of the port can be made more efficient and effective, thus safeguarding and improving this critical element of strategic public infrastructure. It also presents some other development opportunities, for residential and other uses, to help meet the need for homes; and to reconnect St Helier with its maritime heritage. The new plan will provide a framework to support and enable the delivery of the masterplan objectives, against an appropriate regulatory regime.

In a similar vein, work is being undertaken to explore the regeneration and re-purposing of St Helier's historic Fort Regent[2], and the plan will seek to establish a similar policy framework, as appropriate, supported by new supplementary planning guidance.

To ensure that new development supports the introduce to Town concept, the Island Plan contains a number of policies which specifically cover the delivery of new homes, community infrastructure and facilities, and which will help to guide the appropriate delivery of new public infrastructure and assets in Town.

The INTRODUCE TO TOWN concept statement is reflected in a range of detailed policies, including the following:

• Policy H5 – Provision of affordable homes

o Field No. H1219, St. Helier (1.20 hectares/6.6 vergées)

o Field No. H1198, St. Helier (0.40 hectares/2.2 vergées)

o Field No. H1189, St. Helier (0.85 hectares/4.7 vergées)

o Field No. H1186A, St. Helier (0.45 hectares/2.5 vergées)

• Proposal – Residential delivery and management strategy

• Policy CI3 – Our Hospital and associated sites and infrastructure

• Policy CI4 – Community facilities and community support infrastructure

• Policy CI5 – Sports, leisure and cultural facilities

• Policy TT5 - Port operations

A sustainable town

A sustainable town focuses on three strategic concepts to restore, protect and prepare Town:

• Restore Town – natural connections, urban biodiversity and public open space

• Protect Town - Town character and heritage assets

• Prepare Town - to adapt to and mitigate climate change

Figure PL4 – Plan for Town: a sustainable town

Concept Statement – restore Town

Natural connections, urban biodiversity and public open space

Attractive and accessible parks, squares and streets make for a better quality of life and help to support physical and mental health and wellbeing. A network of well-designed and cared-for open spaces and streets adds to the character of places where people want to live, work and visit. Vital green infrastructure, comprising open spaces and trees, enable us to deal with floods or mitigate and adapt to climate change, contribute to urban cooling, provide shade and store water and carbon; they also provide important wildlife habitats. Open spaces provide sporting facilities, areas for children to play or beautiful parks for people to relax. The availability of this local green and community infrastructure becomes increasingly important in those neighbourhoods where there is higher density housing.

Jersey has its own example of the importance and value of open space. The transformation of the car park at Gas Place into the very popular Millennium Town Park has had a significant, positive impact on the surrounding area. By providing a space for a range of recreational uses, it has become a focal point for the community that now cements a convivial residential character in the northern part of the town: it is a model of successful regeneration and placemaking.

The Island Plan introduces a new policy regime to support the provision of new open space - both private and public. The plan also proposes new steps to enhance biodiversity in urban settings will explore the delivery biodiversity net gain in public development. It will also safeguard all existing public open space in Town. New development will be required to respond to these policies, and thus support the restoration of natural connections, urban biodiversity, and protection and enhancement of public open space across Town.

This plan will also support and enable new connections to the countryside, so that town residents can enjoy and benefit from access to nature and green spaces, with proposals to open up access to Grands Vaux Valley and a new country park at Warwick Farm. It will better connect the town to its waterfront and town beaches. A redefined Coastal National Park, embracing all of the island's intertidal zones, including St Aubin's and St Clement's Bay, will bring the national park to Town.

To ensure that new development supports the restore Town concept, the Island Plan contains a number of polices and proposals which specifically support the maintenance and enhancement of green infrastructure and networks, urban biodiversity and public open space which will be applied and developed during the plan period.

The RESTORE concept statement is reflected in a range of detailed policies and proposals, including the following:

• Policy NE1 – Protection and improvement of biodiversity and geodiversity

• Policy NE2 – Green infrastructure and networks

• Proposal – Biodiversity net gain

• Policy CI6 – Provision and enhancement of open space

• Policy CI7 - Protected open space

• Policy CI9 – Countryside access awareness

• Proposal – St Helier Country Park

• Proposal – Access to Grands Vaux Reservoir and valley

Concept Statement – protect Town

Town character and heritage assets

The character of Town is key to its charm and attractiveness. Character is a subtle concept but has a powerful influence on peoples' desire to be in a place, whether to live or visit. Historic buildings and places make an important contribution to the character, identity and sense of a place, especially in Town, which is home to about 40% of the island's listed buildings and places. Islanders consistently recognise the significance of the historic environment in contributing to the quality of life enjoyed in Jersey; and ministers have committed to protect and value our environment by improving the built environment, to retain its sense of place, culture and distinctive local identity in their Common Strategic Policy[1]. Jersey is also bound to protect its heritage assets under international convention obligations, for their intrinsic value, but also because of their contribution and role as part of a

wider shared heritage.

An analysis of the town's character, and an assessment of the distinct and individual qualities of its constituent parts, can be a positive tool to best guide development in terms of integrating within the existing fabric. It can also serve to establish those parts of the town where there is opportunity to generate a new character, which complements and adds to the existing qualities of the town, such as at the new waterfront.  

The original 2005 Urban Character Appraisal[2] identified ten distinct character areas in St Helier. In 2021, most of these character areas still describe parts of the town that have distinct qualities that distinguishes them from neighbouring areas and this work has been refreshed, revised and extended to bring it up to date, and to provide a broader spatial coverage embracing the suburbs. It has informed the plan's approach to determine how Town might best respond to the need to accommodate much of the island's development needs, whilst still protecting and improving the character of the town as a place to live, work and visit.[3]

Work has also been undertaken to review the efficacy of the protection regime for Jersey's historic environment[4]. This demonstrates that it is comparable with other jurisdictions, in terms of the level

of regulatory control exercised, and that it is an important tool in serving to protect local identity and character; and contributing to economic regeneration, where historic buildings are regarded as assets to be worked with rather than constraints.

Planning policies of the Island Plan provide proactive support for the re-use of historic buildings; for appropriate flexibility in response to climate change; and strengthen and clarify the management of development that affects the setting of listed buildings.  

Imminent changes to legislation[1] will enable the designation of conservation areas to recognise and better protect those areas of the island with a distinct architectural and/or historic character. Areas of Town, such as Havre des Pas, for example, might benefit from conservation area designation, following engagement and consultation, and Island Plan policies will help to protect and improve the character of conservation areas, once introduced.

To ensure that new development supports the protect Town concept, polices to enhance design quality and to protect or improve heritage assets and their settings, and the character of town, will be applied, and proposals to designate conservation areas brought forward.

The PROTECT TOWN concept statement is reflected in a range of detailed policies and proposals, including the following:

• Policy GD6 – Design quality

• Policy HE1 – Protecting listed buildings and places, and their settings

• Policy HE3 – Protection or improvement of conservation areas

• Policy HE5 – Conservation of archaeology

• Proposal – Conservation area designation

Concept Statement – prepare Town

To adapt to and mitigate climate change

While climate change affects the whole island, there are some specific climate change issues that are likely to have a greater impact and relevance to Town.

At a building and neighbourhood level, the impacts of higher temperatures resulting from climate change are likely to be felt more greatly in Town because of the urban heat island' effect. More open space and tree cover will be needed as Town develops further, to provide cooling and shade for people and buildings and to enhance public open space.

Surface water run-off, from rainfall, is also a greater challenge in urban areas, and may require additional flood attenuation and temporary water storage, including the use of existing and new green spaces, the creation of water bodies, and other sustainable urban drainage features.

But the biggest challenge is to make Town more resilient to the effects of sea level rise and wave overtopping. The island's Shoreline Management Plan[2] already prioritises the need for action to be taken in the short- to medium-term, both to the west of Town in St Aubin's Bay, and to the east at Havre des Pas. An advance-the-line' response in both areas is proposed, which could involve the creation of new sea defences, but may also provide opportunities for other forms of development to bring improvements in these areas.

At the same time, there are opportunities to address climate change that are particularly relevant to the town environment. These include the chances to deploy solar PV technology on larger office and residential buildings in Town, to develop and expand green infrastructure using roof and wall space, the introduction of sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDs), to accommodate and further develop shared transport schemes and infrastructure, and to require more sustainable building standards from new developments.

There are a number of policies throughout the Island Plan that will help to prepare Town, such as those which require new development to adopt lower carbon building and development practices, to ensure that new development considers and adapts in response to flood risk, whilst also enabling the delivery of essential shoreline management plan schemes. Together, these policies are critical to ensuring that new development in Town supports the necessary and ongoing adaptation and mitigation of the effects and threats of climate change.  

The PREPARE TOWN concept statement is reflected in a range of detailed policies, including the following:

• Policy ME3 - BREEAM rating for new larger scale non-residential buildings

• Policy ME4 – Air quality and increased emissions

• Policy ME7 – Larger-scale terrestrial renewable energy developments

• Policy WER2 – Managing flood risk

• Policy WER3 – Flood infrastructure

• Policy WER4 – Land reclamation

New development in town

The Plan for Town is critical to the sustainable development of the island. Town will continue to provide land and development opportunities to meet much of the island's needs over the plan period and the Plan for Town can help to ensure that it continues to grow in an integrated, enduring and sustainable way.  

To achieve this, all new development should support and make a positive contribution to the eight strategic concepts set out in the Plan for Town:  

A vibrant town focuses on three strategic concepts to connect, enliven and enhance Town:

• connect Town: promote active travel journeys and enhanced public realm

• enliven Town: the town centre, professional services and digital

• enhance Town: the liveability of homes and neighbourhoods

A growing town focuses on two strategic concepts:

• integrate Town - more and higher density development

• introduce to Town - new homes, public infrastructure and assets

A sustainable town focuses on three strategic concepts:

• restore Town – natural connections, urban biodiversity and public open space

• protect Town - Town character and heritage assets

• prepare Town - to adapt to and mitigate climate change

Policy PL1 - Development in Town

Town will provide land and development opportunities to meet much of the island's development needs over the plan period in its role as the island's primary centre for economic activity, the provision of public services and infrastructure, and the creation of new homes.

Development within Town must have regard to and consider how it will respond to the Plan for Town and will be supported where it makes a positive contribution to the strategic concepts of the Plan for Town in order to help deliver a sustainable future for Town and the island.

Les Quennevais

Les Quennevais has grown and developed into the island's secondary urban centre and is a key community focus for the provision of homes; education, sports and community facilities; retail and other services in the west of the island.

This Island Plan introduces a settlement hierarchy that recognises, establishes and supports Les Quennevais in this role. The extent of Les Quennevais is defined on the proposals map. It extends to and embraces La Moye; Le Saut Falluet; La Petite Route des Mielles; Tabor Heights; and Park Estate.

It is a thriving urban area, mostly comprising smaller-scale, lower density suburban housing with some larger-scale, apartment blocks that are more contemporary and urban in nature. It benefits from a wide range of retail services, focused on Red Houses and Les Quennevais Precinct, and extensive sport and community facilities, centred on Les Quennevais Sports Centre.

Les Quennevais is well served by locally accessible public green space, with a popular and large play park behind Les Quennevais Precinct (Elephant Park) and the Pont Marquet Country Park to the east. Access to the coast and countryside is within easy reach at St Brelade's Bay; Les Creux Country Park; and St Ouen's Bay to the west.

The provision of public open space at Les Quennevais is safeguarded by the plan, which also acknowledges and facilitates the further development and enhancement of the existing sports facilities provided at Les Quennevais Sports Centre, and which is identified for further investment as part of the island-wide inspiring active places strategy[1].

There are regular and frequent bus services serving Les Quennevais, to St Helier; and it benefits from dedicated active travel infrastructure in the form of the Railway Walk, providing an off-road connection for walking and cycling to St Helier, with a link to St Peter. The plan will seek to encourage the further enhancement of public transport and active travel infrastructure to help support more walking and cycling.

Les Quennevais is wel-placed and provisioned to support further development. The Island Plan encourages the more efficient use of land and the redevelopment of existing land and buildings here to deliver more homes. The plan sets out a density policy, which will be supported through the preparation of supplementary planning guidance with minimum standards and guidance, for the development of new homes in the built-up area of Les Quennevais.

The plan defines a Les Quennevais centre, that embraces the precinct and Red Houses crossroads, where there exists a focus of employment land uses in the area, mostly centred around food and other convenience retailing, but with a range of other complementary town centre' services

including pharmacies and other healthcare services, cafés, beauticians, barbers, and other personal services. The plan seeks to safeguard and support the retail vitality of this area, but also to introduce a greater flexibility to allow other employment uses in the area, including the development of office accommodation (up to 200 sqm). This is designed to encourage investment and to enable Les Quennevais to further develop to provide greater employment opportunity in the west of the island.

Figure PL5: Defined centre for Les Quennevais

This Island Plan sets the planning framework for the continued development of Les Quennevais over the short-term. It is proposed that the longer-term future of Les Quennevais is explored further through the development of a west of island planning framework, as set out in strategic proposal 4.[1] This work, which will progress over the plan period, will be developed with input from local and island-wide stakeholders, including local parishes and others, and will investigate future planning options and opportunities for Les Quennevais and the wider area, including the former Les Quennevais School site; and Jersey Airport.

Policy PL2 - Les Quennevais

The built-up area of Les Quennevais is identified as the island's secondary urban area and is expected to help meet the island's development needs over the plan period.

Les Quennevais will act as a focus for growth and help to accommodate the need for residential development and the provision of community infrastructure, including sports provision. It will also serve to provide opportunity for economic growth and regeneration in this part of the island.

Development will be consolidated within the existing built-up area; and economic development will be focused in a defined area, as set out on the proposals map, to support regeneration.

While the Island Plan should be considered as a whole, policies and proposals of particular note to Les Quennevais include the following:

• Policy ER1 – Retail and town centre uses

• Policy ER4 – Daytime and evening economy uses

• Policy ER5 – Meanwhile and town centre uses

• Policy EO1 – Existing and new office accommodation

• Policy H2 – Housing density

• Proposal – Minimum density standards

• Policy CI5 – Sports, leisure and cultural facilities

Local centres

There are a range of local centres within the built-up area framework which serve as sustainable communities throughout the island. They are smaller urban centres where most of people's daily needs can be met within a short walk or cycle; and where there is access to public transport.

The extent of these areas is defined on the proposals map and includes traditional parish centres; historic harbour villages; suburban centres and some areas embraced by development along the south and east coast, as follows:

• St Ouen's Village

• St Mary's Village

• St John's Village

• Trinity Village

• St Martin's Vilage

• St Lawrence Church

• St Peter's Village

• St Aubin

• Gorey Village

• Carrefour Selous

• Sion

• Maufant

• St Brelade's Bay

• Beaumont - First

Tower

• Bellozane

Grands Vaux

Five Oaks Bagot-Longueville Grève D'Azette - Ville-ès-Renauds

There are opportunities for some growth, and new residential development, in planned locations in some of these local centres. Development should otherwise continue to be consolidated within the existing built-up area, to ensure the optimal use of land including through its redevelopment. The plan sets out a density policy, which will be supported through the preparation of supplementary planning guidance with minimum standards and guidance, for the development of new homes in local centres. Any development here needs to have regard to the character of the area and its capacity to accommodate more dense forms of development.

In some local centres the planned release of greenfield land will support the delivery of wider objectives for the island. This includes provision of new affordable homes to help meet the island's need for different types of accommodation, including family homes; and local opportunities for right-sizing, which will encourage and enable islanders to move into homes that are more suited to their housing needs, and which can help release existing family homes. This will help to ensure the continued vitality and viability of local centres and help maintain sustainable communities and other facets of parish life.

The protection and enhancement of community facilities, public open space and infrastructure to support active travel, as well as the provision of new or enhanced community buildings, spaces and uses to meet local needs, will be supported in local centres.

Some of the island's local centres also provide employment land and support different aspects of the island's economy. The maintenance of local services to help meet daily needs will be supported;

as will other development which serves a more strategic role, where this is proportionate and appropriate to the context and the local centre; and accords with specific policies in the plan. This includes, for example, support for the provision and improvement of visitor accommodation and daytime and evening economy uses in places such as St Aubin, Gorey and St Brelade's Bay, all of which play an important role in supporting this aspect of Jersey's economy and are identified as tourism development areas (TDAs). The plan sets out a proposal to develop an improvement plan for St Brelade's Bay to enhance its character for the benefit of islanders and visitors alike.

Some local centres include areas with a distinct architectural and/or historic character which have the potential to be designated as conservation areas once this is enabled by change to legislation. Designation, following engagement and consultation, will help to protect and improve the character of conservation areas, through the application of policies in the plan. It is also recognised that parts of the built-up area, made up of the landscaped escarpment, is particularly sensitive to the impact of new development and the plan seeks to ensure that the green backdrop zone is protected and enhanced, where it features in local centres.

Any development in local centres needs to be proportionate to the needs of the community, the scale of the built-up area, and appropriate to its context in scale, character and use.

Policy PL3 - Local centres

Development within the island's local centres will be supported where it contributes to maintaining and enhancing sustainable local communities.

Proposals for residential development will be supported within the existing built-up area.

The release of greenfield land is planned for some centres to help meet the need for different types of housing; and to support the vitality, viability and social sustainability of the community.

The provision or enhancement of existing and new community facilities, public open space and active travel infrastructure in local centres to meet local needs will be supported.

Economic development to meet local needs; and to support the needs of key sectors of the island's economy, as set out in specific policies of the plan, will be supported.

Any development in local centres needs to be proportionate to the needs of the community, the scale of the built-up area; and appropriate to its context in scale, character and use.

While the Island Plan should be considered as a whole, policies of particular note to local centres include the following:

• Policy GD6 – Design quality

• Policy GD8 – Green backdrop zone

• Policy ER3 – Local retail

• Policy ER4 – Daytime and evening economy uses

• Policy EV1 – Visitor accommodation

• Policy H1 – Housing quality and design

• Policy H2 – Housing density

• Proposal – Minimum density standards

• Policy H4 – Meeting housing needs

• Policy H5 – Provision of affordable homes

o Field G392A Grouville

o Field MN389 St. Martin

o Field MN390 St. Martin

o Field MN410 St. Martin

o Field O594 St. Ouen

o Field O595 St. Ouen

o Field P632 St. Peter

o Field S413 St. Saviour

o Field S415 St. Saviour

o Field S415A St. Saviour

o Field S470 St. Saviour

o Field S530 St. Saviour

o Field S729 St. Saviour

• Policy CI4 – Community facilities and community support

• Policy TT2 – Active travel

• Proposal – Conservation area designation

• Proposal – St Brelade's Bay Improvement Plan

Smaller Settlements

There are a range of smaller settlements throughout the island. In most cases these are suburban residential forms of development, often with little or no local facilities and services.

The extent of these areas is defined on the proposals map and are as follows.

• St George's Church

• Le Clos de L'Atlantique/Parcq de L'Oeillère

• Petit Port Clos

• Les Fourneaux

• Mont-ès-Croix

• Route des Genêts/Longfield Avenue

• Les Ruisseaux/ Route de Noirmont

• Rue des Landes

• Ville Emphrie

• Mont Félard

• Mont au Prêtre

• Victoria Village

• Teighmore Park

• Grouville Church

• Grouville Arsenal

• Clos de Roncier

Development opportunities in these locations are more limited given there is less access to local facilities and services, and an increased reliance on private vehicle.

New residential development here will be consolidated within the existing built-up area through redevelopment of existing sites, infill development, or alterations or extensions to existing

dwellings. The development of key sites located in smaller settlements, such as St Saviour's Hospital, which may come forward over the plan period, will be guided by the preparation of supplementary planning guidance.

Proposals for employment uses here should be generally limited to the provision of local services. The provision or enhancement of existing or new community facilities, public open space or active travel infrastructure will be encouraged where they contribute to the creation of a more sustainable community.

Policy PL4 - Smaller Settlements

Development opportunities in smaller settlements will be supported where they contribute to the creation of a more sustainable community.

Proposals for residential development will be supported where they comprise redevelopment of existing sites, residential infill, or alterations or extensions to existing dwellings.

The development of appropriate and proportionate local services and facilities will be supported where this helps to create more sustainable centres.

While the Island Plan should be considered as a whole, policies and proposals of particular note to smaller settlements include the following:

• Policy ER3 – Local retail

• Policy H2 – Housing density

• Proposal – Minimum density standards

• Policy CI4 – Community facilities and community support

• Policy TT2 – Active travel

Countryside, coast and the marine environment

Beyond the built-up area, there is a transition to the island's undeveloped coast and countryside, as well as the entirety of Jersey's marine environment from the mean high-water mark to the limits of Jersey's territorial waters, including its offshore reefs.

Throughout the countryside and around the coastline there are remote homes and small hamlets where access to infrastructure is limited, and where nearly all services and facilities need to be accessed in the nearest urban centres or Town.

There are a wide range of employment uses and buildings in the countryside and around the coastline, including those which serve the rural economy; together with strategic land uses and infrastructure that supply the island with minerals, water and which enable waste management.

The island's marine environment accommodates essential infrastructure for communications and power and supports Jersey's fisheries and aquaculture industries.

Jersey's Coastal National Park embraces some of the island's most valuable and sensitive terrestrial landscapes, the unique intertidal zone and the offshore reefs and islands, together with the shallow waters that surround them. Proposals for terrestrial and marine development located within the Coastal National Park will need to demonstrate how they have had regard to the sensitivity of the landscapes and seascapes within it, which are afforded the highest level of policy protection; and how they are compatible with the purposes, and protect the special qualities, of the national park.

Coastal National Park  

Jersey's Coastal National Park was originally established in 2011, with its extent informed by the Countryside Character Appraisal[1], embracing all those parts of the island of highly sensitive and most valuable landscape quality. This plan has revised the spatial extent of the park drawing on the more recent Integrated Landscape and Seascape Character Assessment[2] and the Coastal National Park Boundary Review[3]. This has extended the park boundary to more comprehensively embrace those parts of the island that are of outstanding landscape quality and, most significantly, embrace the island's unique intertidal zones and the shallow waters around its offshore reefs, which are of outstanding seascape character. The revised park boundary covers 35sq km, or nearly 30% of the island's landmass, excluding the offshore reefs, or the intertidal and shallow sea areas embraced by the park.

Inclusion of the intertidal zone and shallow water around the offshore reefs explicitly recognises that Jersey's character is significantly influenced by the visual relationship of the sea and the land; and the view and perception of it from the sea, bays and beaches, as well as from the land. The island's coastline and its seascapes are highly sensitive and are at risk of having their key characteristics fundamentally altered by inappropriate or insensitive landward or marine development. This plan, therefore, recognises the critical need to comprehensively identify and protect the character of the island's Coastal National Park, and its landscape and seascape setting, and to explicitly consider the impact of development upon it as an integral part of the planning process.

Jersey's Coastal National Park is primarily a designation that is designed to protect its outstanding landscape and seascape character, along with its special heritage and biodiversity value. The purposes of the national park include:

1. the conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the park, and
2. the public understanding and enjoyment of its special qualities.

The inherent scenic quality of the park is an asset and a resource of benefit to islanders and visitors alike, and the purpose of the park which seeks to ensure the conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the park is always the primary consideration.[4]

The Island Plan seeks to ensure that development which takes place within the Coastal National Park protects or improves its landscape or seascape character, and which is also compatible with the purposes of the park, and which does not undermine its special qualities. It is important to acknowledge and recognise that the Island Plan only serves to influence and shape development activity in the national park and can only affect decisions for activities that involve the development of land and buildings. Other aspects associated with the national park, including land management, are external to the planning process and are not regulated by the Island Plan where they do not require planning permission.

The special qualities of the Coastal National Park are reflected in the work that has been undertaken to assess the island's landscape and seascape character, much of which is included within the Coastal National Park as follows:

• variety, uniqueness and drama: there is an extraordinary diversity of landscapes, from patchwork fields to deep wooded valleys; from rugged coastal cliffs to sweeping flat sandy bays and uninhabitable reefs influenced by both marine and continental weather and water systems.

• spectacular coastline: much of Jersey's dramatic and distinctive coastline is entirely natural, from the high, rugged, granite cliffs and headlands of the north coast, to the vast sandy sweep of St Aubin's Bay in the south. Low tide reveals a dramatic and vast world of reefs around the coast, and out to sea. The coastline also has a human legacy of fishing, vraicing (collecting seaweed to use as fertilizer), tourism and defence. Lighthouses, beacons and defensive towers form landmarks and seamarks, and add to the sense of place.

• diverse and unusual geology: Jersey's skeleton is formed of many different types and ages

of igneous and sedimentary rocks, reflecting its tumultuous formation over millions of years. This combination of rocks (on land, in the intertidal zone and under the sea) leads to great diversity of landform, as well as marine features and habitats. The coasts offer

opportunities to see very rare rock formations, whilst the largely inaccessible offshore reefs are unique in Europe.

• abundance of habitats: Jersey's waters are teeming with life, supported by an array of underwater and intertidal habitats including seagrass beds, kelp forests, maerl beds, underwater rock and reefs. Onshore, extensive dune systems provide habitats for species unique to Jersey, and wildlife thrives in the coastal heaths, woodlands, meadows and marshes, hedgerows and banques.

• unique prehistoric archaeology: caves in the cliffs contain archaeological remains from the Palaeolithic period onwards, including evidence for early human life. Back then, the caves would not have been looking out over the sea, but instead over a vast plain, crossed by

river channels, and it would have been possible to walk to what is now France. Around the coast are visible monuments (dolmens and standing stones) and archaeological landscapes buried under sand deposits.

• a rich built heritage: traditional buildings of local warm-coloured granite occur throughout Jersey, with a distinct local vernacular style influenced by both English and French cultures.

• a legacy of defensive sites: Jersey's vulnerable location has resulted in a legacy of defensive sites spanning roughly 2000 years, from Iron Age coastal forts to structures relating to German occupation in World War II. Most of the defensive sites are coastal, and include distinctive landmarks such as Mont Orgueil castle, Elizabeth Castle, the distinctive round coastal Conway Towers' and the World War II range-finding towers at Les Landes,

Corbière and Noirmont, which formed part of the German Atlantic Wall'.

• spectacular views: the longest and most spectacular views in Jersey are generally at the

coast, where panoramas encompass land, sea and sky. This is where the different landscapes and seascapes meet, creating attractive compositions, and natural and built landmarks create focal points. Along the north coast, the offshore reefs draw the eye out to sea. The other Channel Islands and the French coast appear on the horizon. The sunsets are spectacular, particularly over the intertidal reefs. At night, dark skies over much of the island allow the stars to be appreciated, punctuated by the flashes from the lighthouses and beacons.

Figure PL6: Coastal National Park

The green zone

Much of the countryside outside of the Coastal National Park - referred to as the green zone - comprises the rural heartland of Jersey. The quality of the landscape here has a largely intact character although one that has, in part, been more affected by land use changes and management. It nevertheless provides an important and distinctive contribution to the character and appearance of the island's countryside and it is important that its strongly rural character is protected.  

It also includes landscape character types - such as enclosed valleys and escarpments - with landscape characteristics which are sensitive to change which should be protected from further development.

Development around the coast and in the countryside

To promote the most sustainable pattern of development in the island, support the transition to net zero carbon, protect the island's landscape and seascape character, and to protect and enhance the island's green infrastructure, there will be a general presumption against the development of new homes outside of the island's built-up areas around the coast and in the countryside. The plan does make provision for some exceptions for the creation of new homes here where they are related to: the provision of personal support and care; securing the re-use of traditional farm or listed buildings; the conversion or redevelopment of some employment buildings, where demonstrable environmental gains can be delivered. Exceptional provision may also be made where it is related to the essential provision of rural workers' accommodation. Opportunities for other residential development around the coast and in the countryside will be limited to redevelopment of existing sites or alteration or extension to existing dwellings, where their scale, massing, height and design is in keeping with the context.

The provision of community facilities, such as those for sport and recreation, which support the health and well-being of islanders will be supported where they are wel-located and accessible and

can be justified relative to local community need. Proposals which enhance access to the coast and the countryside, and which are related to the use and enjoyment of its natural assets, through low- intensity active leisure pursuits, to the benefit of both visitors and islander's, will be supported, where its impact on the natural environment is limited.

The coast and countryside are working environments and the development of agriculture and other employment uses that support the rural and island economy will be enabled here, where a countryside or coastal location is justified and appropriate.

Agricultural land will be protected from loss and its alternative use will only be supported where it can be justified relative to the nature of the proposed use and the value of the land to agriculture, such that alternative uses will only be appropriate on lower-quality agricultural land. Support will be given to proposals that comprise the reuse or redevelopment of already developed land and/or buildings in the countryside, where it is appropriate and justified, having regard to tests of redundancy. The reuse or redevelopment of modern agricultural buildings for non-employment uses will not be supported. Redundant and derelict glasshouses are considered to be temporary structures associated with the agricultural use of the land that should be removed, and the land restored, when they are no longer required. The development of derelict glasshouses may only be supported in exceptional circumstances where the extent of development is limited to that which is required to achieve their removal and to deliver an overall enhancement to the countryside.

Throughout the coast and the countryside there is a range of sites and facilities that ensure the community's essential needs are met, such as an adequate supply of drinking water, the provision of aggregates to support development needs, and the management of waste materials. Proposals for the maintenance and/or expansion of these strategic sites and facilities will be supported where it is demonstrated to be in the public interest, and where the impact on landscape and seascape character is avoided, minimised and mitigated.

Coastal and rural development opportunities will be limited in the Coastal National Park. Development within the Coastal National Park should be compatible with the purposes of the park, in order to protect its special qualities. It will need to accord with other policies throughout the plan in terms of the forms of development that may be acceptable within it, and applicants will need to, in particular, justify the need for development to be located here. It is essential that development in the Coastal National Park protects or improves the landscape and seascape character of the park and ensures that these special qualities can continue to be enjoyed.

Development in the green zone should protect or improve the landscape character. Specific consideration needs to be given to the impact of development proposals on those landscape character types and areas within the green zone (as identified in the ILSCA[1]) to determine their sensitivity and capacity to accommodate new development.

All development proposals around the coast and in the countryside will need to demonstrate that particular care has been taken to ensure that they can be sympathetically integrated into the locality and that they do not harm landscape character or biodiversity. The impact of a proposal on the island's seascape will be a relevant consideration for developments in coastal locations.

Development in the marine environment

The long-term, prudent use of marine resources is essential in the management of Jersey's unique, fragile and environmentally and economically important shores and waters.

Development proposals located in the marine environment will not generally be supported except where a marine location is demonstrated to be essential and generally accords with other policies of the plan. This Island Plan provides a more focused policy regime for activities in the marine environment by providing some spatial definition of areas or sites wh re different marine-related land uses may be supported, such as offshore utility scale renewable energy development, aquaculture and shoreline management. Other essential uses here could provide for navigation; access to water; and power and communications supplies. There is a need to ensure that the impact of development on areas of high marine biodiversity and seascape value is given significant weight in the decision-making process.

This Island Plan resets the boundary for the Coastal National Park and now embraces parts of the marine environment below the high-water mark including the unique intertidal zones and offshore reefs, together with their surrounding shallow waters, where development opportunity will be limited. Development proposals will need to protect or improve the essential and sensitive landscape and seascape character and rich biodiversity of these places.

While the Island Plan should be considered as a whole, policies of particular note to the Countryside, coast and marine environment include the following:

• Policy GD9 – Skyline, views and vistas

• Policy NE3 - Landscape and seascape character

• Policy H8 – Housing in the countryside

• Policy H9 – Rural workers' accommodation

• Policy ERE1 – Protection of agricultural land

• Policy ERE2 – Diversification of the rural economy

• Policy ERE6 – Derelict and redundant glasshouses

• Policy ERE8 – Fishing and aquaculture

• Policy EV1 – Visitor accommodation

• Policy CI5 - Sports, leisure and cultural facilities

• Policy CI9 – Countryside access and awareness

• Policy ME6 – Offshore utility scale renewable energy proposals

• Policy MW1 – Provision of minerals

Policy PL5 - Countryside, coast and marine environment

Development proposals in the countryside, around the coast and in the marine environment should protect or improve its character and distinctiveness. Where relevant, they should also protect or improve the special landscape and seascape character, and special qualities, of the Coastal National Park and its setting, and be compatible with the purposes of the park.

To protect the countryside and coast and to ensure development is concentrated in the most sustainable locations, the development of new homes will not be supported except in very limited circumstances.

Where a coast or countryside location is justified, and where any impact will be limited, the provision or enhancement of sports, leisure and cultural facilities that supports the health, wellbeing and enjoyment of islanders and visitors will be supported.

Agricultural land will be protected, particularly where its characteristics mean the land is of high- quality and value to the agricultural industry.

Economic development that supports the maintenance and diversification the rural and island economy will be enabled here, where the location of development is justified and appropriate; or where it involves the reuse or redevelopment of already developed land and buildings, where it is appropriate to do so.

The development of sites and infrastructure that help meet the island's strategic needs for minerals, waste management, energy and water will be supported in the countryside, around the coast and in the marine environment, where it is demonstrated to be in the island's strategic interest, and where its impact can be avoided, minimised, mitigated or compensated.

Development proposals located in the marine environment will not be supported except where a marine location is demonstrated to be essential.

Sustainable Communities Fund

It is clear that distinct parts of the island have differing levels of access to housing, space and services. The graphic below summarises an analysis of deprivation[1] in Jersey across a range of issues. Deprivation is a measure of socio-economic status and is used to help understand where inequalities exist within a geographic area. In Jersey, the concentrations of deprivation in Town, and particularly in the north of Town, are of island-wide significance.

Figure PL7: Index of deprivation (2011 Census)

Whist focusing development within the built-up area, and within Town in particular, continues to reflect good sustainable development practice, this development must be shaped in a way that actively responds to the challenges posed by deprivation. Development can specifically influence this by ensuring that there is adequate access to community infrastructure and services, sufficient opportunities for employment, removing the barriers to adequate housing, and ensuring a high- quality living environment. Without such careful shaping and a path to longer-term sustainability, economic, social and environmental pressures will continue to grow, and will challenge the strategic function that Town plays for the wider island community.

The policies identified in the Plan for Town are intended to provide this policy response. Many of these policies make a public value response, for example: through the use of public assets for housing and to improve community infrastructure; or the allocation of more space for development, which is implicit in the principle of accepting managed increases in height and density of development.

The Island Plan includes a range of policies intended to secure a private value contribution to support new public infrastructure, such as improvements to public transport, public art or instances where developers will make off-site contributions to public space and play space to the benefit of the development and wider community. These policies are usually given effect through planning obligation agreements (POAs), which are typically used to manage or offset physical impacts directly related to, and in the immediate vicinity of, a development where they are required to

make a proposal acceptable in planning terms. POAs are principally a form of cost recovery that ensures the developer contributes towards the infrastructure that the development will directly burden.

These private value contributions are, however, not achieved evenly as they must be focused only on the development and its direct impact – this means that the indirect and cumulative impact of development is not addressed, and whilst some development will make a public contribution through the use of POAs, the majority will not.

To address this, and to ensure that developers fairly, consistently and proportionately, contribute to improving wider community infrastructure and environment - which it both benefits from and burdens - the Island Plan proposes a new Sustainable Communities Fund. This fund will be

designed to capture a small proportion of the private value uplift arising from the development process and invest it back into the community. This investment will be aimed specifically towards Town, where the investment is needed most. In response to the Island Plan Strategic Issues and Options consultation in 2019, 58% of islanders surveyed either agreed or strongly agreed with the principle of such a charge being established.

The fund will be delivered by a planning charge or levy that is able to capture the land value uplift created when planning permission is granted. Such a charge would be fairly applied at a published standard rate, based on the amount of new floorspace to be provided.

Whilst the contribution from individual developments would be small (potentially around 3% of development value[1]), cumulatively the charge could establish a meaningful Sustainable Communities Fund, from which investments can be made into new community infrastructure, such as community buildings and services, public open space, play space, tree-planting and landscaping, or footpaths and cycle routes. These investments will support Town in becoming a more attractive place to live, work in and visit, and this will, directly or indirectly, benefit all islanders.

Whilst the focus of the fund will be to achieve improvements to Town, in developing the framework for its collection and distribution, consideration will be given as to how a proportion of the fund may be re-allocated to other parishes where higher volumes of development has taken place, thus ensuring that local improvements may be made outside of Town, when they are also needed.

On introducing the Sustainable Communities Fund, the POA framework would be simplified to improve consistency and developer certainty; and steps would be taken to ensure developers do not have to pay twice' under different regimes.

Proposal – Sustainable Communities Fund

Recognising the challenges to secure the sustainable future development of Town, a Sustainable Communities Fund will be established and funded through a land development levy, subject to approval by the States Assembly.

Work to design and introduce the Fund will take place over the plan period of the bridging Island Plan.

The viability of the proposed Fund will be assessed and arrangements for the governance and allocation of the Fund, including the role of Parishes, will be set out when it is proposed.

As part of this work, restrictions will be put in place, through regulations, to ensure that developers are not charged twice for the same infrastructure.

Should a mechanism also be introduced to deliver a proportion of affordable homes on all housing development sites, restrictions would also be put in place to ensure that contributions to the Sustainable Communities Fund were viable, proportionate and appropriate in light of the contribution made by the delivery of affordable homes.

Volume 3

Managing development

 General development

 Biodiversity and natural environment

 Historic environment

 Economy

 Housing

 Managing emissions

 Community infrastructure

 Travel and transport

 Minimising waste and environmental risk

 Utilities and strategic infrastructure

 Minerals extraction and solid waste disposal

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Volume 3: Managing Development General development

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General development

Managing the health and wellbeing impact of new development

All new development inevitably leads to some form of impact upon how people perceive, interact with, and respond to the environment that surrounds them. Whilst this impact can be positive and mean that we are able to use land and buildings in a way that better meets the needs of individuals, the economy and society, there is a need to ensure that development does not adversely affect people's health and wellbeing or have wider amenity effects that erode community wellbeing. These considerations need to be applied in a proportionate and meaningful way, relative to the type of development proposal and where the development is proposed to take place.

The Minister for the Environment requires development proposals to appropriately respond to the published supplementary planning guidance which may be relevant to the proposal. This will support developers in ensuring that the health and sustainable wellbeing impact of development is properly considered and its impact managed and mitigated.

Policy GD1 – Managing the health and wellbeing impact of new development

All development proposals must be considered in relation to their potential health, wellbeing and wider amenity impacts, and will only be supported where:

1. the development will not unreasonably harm the amenities of occupants and neighbouring uses, including those of nearby residents, and in particular, will not:
   1. create a sense of overbearing or oppressive enclosure;
   2. unreasonably affect the level of privacy to buildings and land that owners and occupiers might expect to enjoy;
   3. unreasonably affect the level of sunlight and daylight to buildings and land that owners and occupiers might expect to enjoy; or
   4. adversely affect the health, safety and environment of users of buildings and land by virtue of emissions to air, land, buildings and water including light, noise, vibration, dust, odour, fumes, electro-magnetic fields, effluent or other emissions.
2. in the case of land that is known, or suspected, to be contaminated, the developer has or will carry out a satisfactory investigation into the condition of the site and is required to undertake the appropriate treatment, remedy or removal of the contamination, at the appropriate time.

Consideration of these impacts will be made in light of all relevant supplementary planning guidance, as may be published by the Minister for the Environment.

Community participation

When large-scale development proposals are made, they can generate interest from the community. It is important that we embrace this interest, and foster an environment in which citizens can speak and participate in matters that affect them, effecting positive change and outcomes to the benefit of wider society and the quality of the environment in which we all live.

A key requirement of the planning system, as established by the Planning and Building Law, is to achieve development that meets the needs of the community[1]. One of the most effective ways to

support this is to actively involve the community in the design stages of development. This is of greatest importance when making plans for larger-scale development (10 or more homes or 400sqm floorspace and over), that will affect a large proportion of the community.

The planning system is specifically designed to involve the community in decision making, and this can be done though the submission of representations, attendance at hearings and the ability to lodge third-party appeals. Whilst this is an appropriate and effective means for community engagement in planning matters, it is also recognised that, often, the issues and concerns raised by the community are those which could have been considered and addressed by the developer had community engagement been undertaken at an earlier stage in the process.

Dealing with community concerns, issues and ideas in a constructive and proactive way earlier in the development process can negate the need for lengthy negotiations, delays, or the wait for third-party appeals to be made. This has the potential to streamline the process for determining planning applications and to lead to development that better responds to and meets the needs of the community.

Proposal – Guidance for community participation

The Minster for the Environment will publish practice guidance to:

1. support developers in undertaking, responding to, and reporting pre-application community participation during the development of large-scale development proposals.
2. explain the various ways in which members of the public may participate in the planning application process, at its different stages. This will include details of how the process remains open, transparent and accessible for all.

Policy GD2 – Community participation in large-scale development proposals

Larger-scale development proposals, of 10 or more homes or 400sqm floorspace and over, must be subject to consultation with the community, prior to a planning application being made.

A community participation statement should be submitted as part of the proposal providing evidence of:

• the consultation that was undertaken, including who was consulted, on what, when and how the consultation was carried out; and

• how any feedback received from the consultation was taken into account in the

formulation of proposals.

Developer contributions and obligations

New development has the potential to support the social, environmental and economic sustainability of our island, but it also has the potential to burden it by placing additional strain on the physical and public services infrastructure that surrounds it. The planning process recognises and makes provision for this, requiring developers to enter into planning obligation agreements (POAs) to ensure that the impact of development upon community infrastructure can be mitigated and managed. These are legal agreements designed to ensure that development proposals will be acceptable in planning terms.

The use of POAs can be broad, so long as this remains within the scope defined by the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002[1], and where it can be justified as being necessary. The Minister for the Environment is committed to ensuring that these powers are used fairly, reasonably and

proportionately and that all requirements for a POA are directly related to the proposed development.

When POAs are deemed to require a financial contribution, it is important that this is a form of cost recovery' (i.e. recovering the costs that the public would otherwise have to meet to support the development) and it is not designed to target developer or landowner profits, although sometimes it can reduce profits if this has not been factored into a developers calculation of development costs and land-price paid. To reduce the risk of this, developers should seek advice at an early stage to ensure that any additional requirements are factored into their development and land acquisition costs.

In 2017, the Minister for the Environment published supplementary planning guidance in relation to the use of POAs and whilst the guidance remains valid, it requires updating in response to the new policies created by the bridging Island Plan.

Proposal – Supplementary planning guidance – planning obligation agreements

The Minister for the Environment will publish updated supplementary planning guidance in relation to the use of planning obligation agreements in response to the new policy requirements created by the Island Plan.

The Minister for the Environment also has aspirations to bring forward a Sustainable Communities Fund' over the course of the bridging Island Plan period[1]. The purpose of the fund is to capture a small proportion of land value uplift created as a result of the grant of planning permission, it will also provide an opportunity to revisit the use of POAs and reduce or simplify any cost recovery requirements. This will be undertaken as part of the delivery of the Sustainable Communities Fund proposal.

Policy GD3 – Planning Obligation Agreements

Planning obligation agreements (POAs) will be entered into where they are:

• necessary to make development acceptable in planning terms;

• directly related to the development; and,

• fairly and reasonably related, in scale and kind, to the development.

Their use may be:

• to limit the use and occupation of the development in order to meet a specific identified need;

• to ensure that restoration of land or other specific activity takes place, at a specified time;

• to secure the delivery of infrastructure or services, as may be deemed necessary, and which may include development on-site, off-site, or by way of a financial contribution that can otherwise secure its appropriate delivery; or

• for any other lawful reason that will ensure that the policy objectives of the Island Plan can be met.

Where there are cost implications associated with POA requirements, reasonable negotiations may take place in order to agree the means by which the requirements are to be delivered. Negotiations should not, however, lead to a lesser value outcome, and the agreed means must fully address the issues that will otherwise exist.

The developer will be required to meet the legal costs associated with making the POA.

Where the necessary terms of agreement cannot be agreed, planning permission will be refused.

Enabling or linked development

Enabling or linked development is the term given to a development proposal that is in a location outside of a principal development site[1] but which is demonstrated to be necessary to make the principal development viable, or to manage or mitigate a planning impact of the principal development.

Examples of enabling or linked development include where additional development is required to enable a development that will lead to a significant environmental, community or economic benefit to the island, such as the delivery of key public infrastructure projects, Another example might be where upfront capital needs to be generated to make a significantly beneficial scheme viable, such as the restoration of land which is in a harmful condition. There could also be an element of cross- subsidy', in terms of planning gain, where development on one site is offset against improvements on a different site, such as when the loss of protected open space[2] has been accepted on the basis that it will be re-provided elsewhere.

Proposals for enabling or linked development will only be supported where the development, as a whole, will generate benefits for the island's long-term social, economic and environment sustainable wellbeing. Applications for enabling or linked development will also be required to demonstrate through submission of relevant information that:

• any financial gain arising from the enabling development will not exceed the investment necessary to make the principal development viable;

• additional off-site development is the last resort' in order to bring forward the principal development. Evidence of the alternative options explored must be provided alongside detailed reasoning as to why these alternative options are not feasible or viable.

Planning applications for enabling or linked development must be submitted and determined in tandem and planning obligation agreements will be used to ensure that the development at the principal site is delivered.

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TAopp elnicsatureio tnhs tath aatpp proplicatoiosen es for nableinnabg or lling inoker  d devellinked develoopmenpmet pront poar seal asdvwiellrt oisnelyd ibe n as wuppay o that rted  the nwatheurere: of the proposal is brought to the attention of the public of the island, the Minister for the Envi1r.onmit eisn at grewille rd that eview trehleo Plcatainnng aning an exd Bistinug uildisneg , i (An orderpplicat t ioo an Pucco blmicmato idateon) ( aJe newrsey) Order use, wil 2l  0le 0ad6 to give eto a ffecst ignto tifihcisan. t environmental, community or economic benefit to the island;

2. it is agreed that a proportionate amount of development is required in order to raise a minimum amount of capital to make a significantly beneficial scheme viable;
3. the development is considered necessary in order to mitigate or manage the impact of another development that is of significant benefit to islanders; or
4. the development is considered necessary in order to deliver critical infrastructure

Enabling or linked development proposals will only be supported where:

1. there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that reasonable alternative options have been explored, and the development proposed represents that which will lead to the greatest benefit, or least harm; and
2. overall, the benefit of accepting the development outweighs any harm

In those cases where the justification for the development is related to financial viability, the financial gain of the proposed development must not exceed that which is required in order to make the principal development viable.

A planning obligation agreement will be entered into to ensure that when enabling or linked development has been approved for a specific purpose, that it comes forward as part of the implementation of the planning permission which generated the need for it.

The demolition and replacement of buildings

The Island Plan supports the re-use of existing buildings in the interests of minimising waste, reducing building obsolescence, increasing their longevity, and making best use of their embodied carbon.

The demolition of buildings can produce significant amounts of waste, placing a substantial burden upon the island's waste management and disposal sites. The Island Plan requires development to address the management of waste appropriately, focusing on the environmental benefits of waste minimisation before alternative measures are considered.

Buildings also contain embodied energy that is lost when demolition occurs. This, consequently, stimulates the need for additional energy to produce materials and construct a replacement structure. This loss and use of energy contributes to local and global carbon emissions and, therefore, needs to be carefully considered as part of the island's commitment to become carbon

neutral. Before the demolition of buildings can be supported options to retain them, in-whole or in-part, through refurbishment or adaptation must be thoroughly explored.

Determining whether it is more appropriate to reuse or demolish existing buildings will always depend on the individual merits of the proposal. A reasoned and balanced judgement must be made in each case as to whether the wider benefits of a proposal, especially in terms utilising land

in the most efficient and appropriate way relative to its location, its overall carbon impact and wider environmental gain, outweigh any adverse effects that may result. These include impacts on waste streams, economic viability and on the island's carbon footprint.

Proposals for the demolition and replacement of buildings must demonstrate, based on a holistic consideration of all of these factors, how it will represent the most beneficial option through the submission of evidence in support of any application. Such evidence should set out the expected environmental and sustainability benefits arising from the replacement of the existing building relative to the potential retention of the existing building and enhancement of its environmental performance. This information should be submitted as a statement of sustainability and form an integral part of the contents of a design statement[1].

In respect of the evidence required to demonstrate the environmental and sustainability merits of the proposal, sustainability indicators should be applied to determine whether the demolition and replacement of a building, or its retention, is the most sustainable option overall. As a minimum a sustainability statement should address the following environmental factors, with supporting evidence, where appropriate:

• the density of existing and proposed development – consider whether the density of existing buildings on the site is optimal for the location having regard to the spatial strategy, the site context and whether or not the building can be appropriately extended or altered to optimise density, having regard to the intended/proposed use.

• overall carbon impact – consider whether the demolition and replacement of the building would lead to less or more carbon emissions than its retention and/or extension and refurbishment to higher building and operating efficiency standards. The estimation of emissions should have regard to its contribution to:

o emissions generated on-island through building materials and consumption of hydrocarbon fuels;

o consumption and dependence on bought-in energy supply and;

o emissions created off-island by the sourcing, manufacture and importation of materials.

• amount of waste - consider how the waste arising from the development has been minimised in accordance with the waste hierarchy, where the use of existing fabric, the re- use of materials, and its recycling is actively considered and maximised on-site as an integral part of the design and development process, which should be demonstrated through a site waste management plan.

• materials and performance - address how the design of the scheme has achieved optimal efficiency through the selection of materials, building services and water conservation measures, including sustainable surface water drainage systems.

Where economic viability is a key reason for requiring demolition, an assessment of the costings for the proposal, set against the costings for the building to be refurbished and/or extended, should

be submitted for consideration. Robust evidence will be required in support of any case made that the retention and refurbishment of a building would not be viable.

Taking a whole life approach to buildings means prioritising our existing buildings by making refurbishment and reuse worthwhile. Such a fully sustainable approach to a low carbon future should see both the retention of the island's listed buildings and an improvement of their energy and carbon performance. This will help them remain useful and viable now, and in the future, by reducing building obsolescence and increasing their longevity.

Policy GD5 – Demolition and replacement of buildings

The demolition and replacement of a building or part of a building will only be supported where it is demonstrated that:

1. it is not appropriate in sustainability terms, and/or economically viable, to repair or refurbish it; and
2. the proposed replacement building or part of a building represents a more sustainable use of land having regard to the density of existing and proposed development, overall carbon impact, waste generation, and the use and performance of materials and services.

Applications for the demolition and replacement of buildings, or part of a building, must be accompanied by sufficient information which demonstrates that the likely environmental or sustainability benefits of the proposed development outweigh the retention of the existing building.

Design quality

Well-designed development

The Minister for the Environment affords a high priority to the promotion of better design and is determined to raise the standard of design in the island as an essential part of creating sustainable development through the planning process. Achieving the highest quality of design is more critical than ever, where our buildings and homes need to respond to the changing demands of living, socialising, and working, which have, in-part, been highlighted by our experience of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jersey is an island of distinct and diverse places, with a rich and varied rural landscape, outstanding coastline, and a range of urban centres, from Town to smaller village centres. Wherever it takes place, it is essential that new development contributes positively to the character, identity, and

sense of place of the local area. It should also be well designed and responsive to the unique characteristics of the locality, supporting the inevitable evolution of place, but without eroding what makes it special and unique.

The Jersey Design Guide[1] sets out key principles to ensure excellence in design and architecture which include integration, relevance, sustainability, connection, enriching and delighting, attention to detail and quality. These are sound principles that have stood the test of time and their consideration in the development process should ensure that the quality of buildings and places in Jersey is enhanced.

To assist in the delivery of better design the Jersey Architecture Commission[1] provides independent, expert advice and guidance on major and sensitive developments in the island. For large-scale development, or development in more sensitive locations, the Commission should be engaged at the early stages of scheme design to help shape sustainable buildings and development that supports and enhances the quality of design and placemaking in the island.

Design statements[2] are required to accompany development proposals, to demonstrate how the key principles of good design have been taken into account in the preparation of the proposals,

and to assist in assessing the design quality of the proposed development. The statements should analyse the site and its context, set out the design principles that have been adopted, and demonstrate how the design solution achieves the objectives of good design and placemaking. The design of development in Town and around the coast and in the countryside should be informed

by and have regard to the design guidance and assessment of character set out in the St Helier Urban Character Appraisal[3]; and the Integrated Landscape and Seascape Character Assessment[4] respectively.

Responding to the challenge of climate change necessitates a step change in how we construct and deliver new development, particularly if the island is to achieve its objectives related to carbon neutrality. Design statements are also required to include a statement of sustainability which shall have regard to the nature and origin of construction materials, and the lifetime energy requirements of the development. Development should also demonstrate how it encourages a reduction in private vehicle use and associated transport emissions by promoting and enabling active travel and the use of public transport and low emission vehicles, through the provision of, for example, electric charging infrastructure.

Proposal – Design statements and statements of sustainability

The Minister for the Environment will review and issue revised supplementary planning guidance about the requirements for and contents of design statements, and to guide the preparation

and submission of statements of sustainability.

In order to assess the quality of design and placemaking, all development proposals - including

new and existing developments, changes to the use of land and buildings, building alterations and extensions, development affecting the public realm, the provision of infrastructure, and the display of signs and advertisements – will be assessed against key design considerations.

In the case of key sites and specific areas of the island, the Minister will continue to publish supplementary planning guidance to inform their design and development, in the form of masterplans and development briefs, to ensure, amongst other things, that high design quality is achieved.

Policy GD6 – Design quality  

A high quality of design that conserves, protects and contributes positively to the distinctiveness of the built environment, landscape and wider setting will be sought in all developments, in accord with the principles of good design.

Development will be supported where it can be demonstrated that the design successfully addresses the following key principles:

1. the relationship of the development to existing buildings, settlement form and distinctive characteristics of a place having regard to the layout, form and scale (height, massing, density) of the development;
2. the use of materials, details, colours, finishes, signs and illumination relative to the character and identity of the area; and its townscape or landscape setting;
3. its impact upon neighbouring uses, including land and buildings and the public realm;
4. its integration into the existing area with safe links to local spaces and places; achievement of the highest standards of accessible and inclusive design; and the need to make provision for safe access, movement and parking, where relevant, by all modes, giving priority to active travel and promoting the use of low emission vehicles;
5. the need to design out crime, and the fear of crime, and to facilitate personal and public safety and security in accordance with the principles of safety by design;
6. the protection and enhancement of green infrastructure, as an integral element of

design;

7. the operation of the development in practice and how people will access and use it on a day-to-day basis, both now and in future, having regard to its servicing and maintenance; and
8. the sustainable use of resources including land, natural, water, energy and materials with storage, waste, servicing and provision of utilities integrated into the design.

Tall buildings  

Tall buildings are those that are taller than their surroundings or cause a change to the skyline. Whilst high density does not need to imply high-rise, tall buildings can form part of a strategic approach to meeting development needs, particularly in order to make optimal use of the capacity of sites. It is recognised that the focus in the Island Plan on the built-up area to accommodate

future development and secure efficient use of land over the plan period may lead to taller buildings being brought forward. This plan, therefore, seeks to provides a framework against which proposals for tall buildings can be assessed and seeks to ensure that context and placemaking aims are carefully considered when bringing forward proposals.

Places evolve, as do their skylines. Individually, or in groups, tall buildings can significantly affect their image, character and identity as a whole, and over a long period. In the right place well- designed tall buildings can make a positive contribution.

The term tall building' is relative, and the most useful indicator of the extent of the tallness' of a building within a specific townscape is the ratio of the height of a tall building to the prevailing contextual height. This Island Plan defines anything as a tall building where it is two or more storeys (where any roof plant will also be considered as a storey) above the height of the prevailing contextual height. It will also apply to a building that is 18 metres or more above ground level (or is four-six storeys high) recognising that the storey height of a building can vary depending upon the type of accommodation provided (but are commonly 3 to 4.5 m).

A poorly located, poorly designed tall building can have a detrimental impact on the topography and skyline of a place like St Helier. The town's particular topography means that existing tall buildings and those that are silhouetted against the sky provide a powerful and distinctive skyline profile. In considering any new tall development in St Helier, consideration of their impact on the landmarks of Elizabeth Castle, Fort Regent, Victoria College, St Thomas' Church, Almorah Crescent and Victoria Crescent will need to be taken into account. In considering development in other

places the topography, landscape, townscape, wider context, contribution to key views and the prevailing building height and scale will inform the design and impact of tall buildings. Context is a critical consideration if a tall building is to successfully integrate with the surrounding townscape or landscape.

So, it is vital to be clear about what tall' might mean in the specific context of place. When considering St Helier, the predominant building heights are two to five storeys, but there are also exceptionally tall buildings of up to 16 storeys. Generally, in St. Helier , historic buildings are ordinarily small in scale with a predominance of 2.5-3.5 storeys. Any buildings that are 4.5-six storeys are medium-tall', six-eight storeys are tall', and eight storeys plus would be considered as high-rise'. More recent developments in St Helier, on the Waterfront and Esplanade, have raised the average height of development in this part of the town to five - seven storeys.

The St Helier Urban Character Appraisal provides an assessment of the urban character of St Helier and has defined the sensitivity and capacity of different parts of the town to successfully accommodate tall buildings.

Figure GD1 – St Helier's sensitivity to the impact of increases in storey heights (St Helier Urban Character Appraisal)

Based on the Urban Character Appraisal's assessment of the distinct townscape characteristics of St Helier's ten character areas, it sets out storey height guidance for new development for each character area, as set out in Table 1. This will be used to assess development proposals for taller buildings in the town. Proposals for development which exceed this, or which challenge building height guidance for St Helier, will need to provide evidence to demonstrate that there are

overriding public benefits or needs to justify and outweigh any adverse impact of a building of such height.

The St Helier Urban Character Appraisal has evidenced/concluded that high-rise buildings over eight storeys will always be conspicuous landmarks in the street and skyline of St Helier and may have the effect of undermining the cohesive historic character of the town. The development of high-rise buildings over eight storeys will not, therefore, be supported in St Helier.

Figure GD2 – St Helier's character area boundaries (St Helier Urban Character Appraisal)

Table GD1: Building height guidance for Town (St Helier Urban Character Appraisal)

Outside Town, the prevailing building height is generally lower, as buildings are smaller. There will, however, be parts of the island's built-up area where there are existing taller buildings, such as hotels, and there may be a need to enable taller buildings in the right locations to help deliver

more efficient use of land.

In all cases, sponsors of the development of tall buildings throughout the island will be expected to demonstrate, through the preparation of a design statement, how they have had regard to the context of the site and how this has informed the proposed height and design of the development. This will need to justify the height of the proposed development and consider, amongst other

things:

• their height and design relative to the site context and its relationship with, where relevant, the St Helier townscape;

• strategic views and important vistas;

• the impact on the historic environment and the setting of listed buildings and key landmarks;

• the impact on the amenity of nearby occupiers and on the public realm; and

• the capacity of local utilities or community infrastructure to support a more intensive form of development.

In some cases, depending on the scale of the development, this will need to include a visual impact assessment.

In all cases, plant and equipment or other structures essential to the use of a building should be located within the existing building envelope and not on top of the roof(s).

Policy GD7 – Tall Buildings

Proposals for tall buildings are those where it is two or more storeys above the prevailing contextual height or over 18m (or four-six storeys) high.

Proposals for the development of a tall building will only be supported where:

• it is well-located and relates well to the form, proportion, composition, scale and character of surrounding buildings and its height is appropriate to the townscape character of the area. In Town this should considered relative to the St Helier Urban Character Appraisal (2021) building height guidance;

• it does not unacceptably harm longer views and context at street level;

• it incorporates the highest standards of architecture and materials;

• it has ground floor activities that provide a positive relationship to the surrounding streets, and public realm;

• it does not adversely affect the locality in terms of microclimate, wind turbulence, overshadowing, noise, reflected glare, privacy and amenity of surrounding buildings;

• it contributes to improving the permeability of the site and wider area; and

• its height can be fully justified in a design statement.

Development of a tall building of over eight storeys within Town will only be supported in exceptional circumstances and where the overall benefit to the community will demonstrably outweigh any adverse impacts.

Development of a tall building of over eight storeys will not be supported outside of Town.

Green backdrop zone

The green backdrop zone is only located within parts of the built-up area, as defined on the proposals map. It is part of the landscaped escarpment around the east, south and west of the island, and is particularly prominent in views from the coast and the sea. In some of the island's built-up areas, this escarpment features low density residential development set amongst private gardens or natural landscaping, providing a green backdrop and setting to much of St Helier, St Aubin, Gorey and St Brelade's Bay. This landscaped setting is important for the character of these areas, and for the enjoyment of views from the sea, the beach, and along the coast and from within the built environment.

The skyline of the escarpment is particularly important and any development which breaks the skyline becomes very prominent. The escarpment has an important role to play providing, in some parts, an open gap between built-up areas; providing the setting for coastal sites; containing habitats which support the wider ecosystem; as well as contributing to a range of regulating services through vegetation (particularly trees and hedgerows).

The purpose of the green backdrop zone policy is to ensure that this urban landscaped setting is protected and enhanced.

Figure GD3 – Green backdrop zone

Development on the slope and crest of the escarpment, particularly in locations around St Aubin's Bay and St Brelade's Bay, has led to some adverse visual impact on the green backdrop and on coastal views the effect of which has been, in some cases, exacerbated by associated tree removal from the seaward side of the development and the skyline.

In order to better protect the green backdrop zone, this plan sets out a renewed strategy for its protection and enhancement. This is informed by the work undertaken as part of the Integrated Landscape Seascape Character Assessment (ILSCA) which characterises this landscape type and sets a framework for its management, which seeks to:

• protect undeveloped areas from further degradation;

• assimilate development into the landscape where it has already occurred, through enhancement to landscaping or the use of more sympathetic colours or materials;

• ensure new development, including extension to existing buildings, is appropriate to its setting, including any potential impact upon the skyline, views and vistas;

• retain settlement identity and enhance settlement edges;

• ensure new planting and landscaping is appropriate to the landscape character of the area and contributes to the island's biodiversity through habitat conservation, creation and the use of appropriate species; and

• improve connectivity between habitats through landscaping.

Policy GD8 – Green backdrop zone

1. Within the green backdrop zone, proposals for the extension or replacement of existing buildings will be supported where:

1. it does not involve the loss of a previously undeveloped site;
2. it does not unacceptably increase the visual prominence of the development, and is well- related to existing development;
3. it avoids the skyline and the steepest slopes, where extensive earthworks may be required;
4. it is appropriate in scale, design, material and colour, and is designed to minimise light pollution, and is not floodlit;
5. existing green infrastructure is retained, and new additional tree planting and landscaping is provided to support the integration of existing and new development into the landscape; and
6. it does not contribute to the erosion of gaps between built-up areas.

2. The development of detached buildings, or other forms of new development, within the green backdrop zone will not be supported except where:

1. it does not result in the net loss of green infrastructure or adversely affect the landscape character of the green backdrop zone; or
2. the overall benefit to the community of the proposal demonstrably outweighs the harm.

Skyline, views and vistas

Jersey has a rich and varied landscape, seascape and townscape; its topography enables spectacular views of natural settings and buildings which are valued by local people and visitors alike and which are part of its intrinsic character and identity. New development can have a significant visual impact upon the island's important skylines, views and vistas, and it is vital that consideration is given to this in order to protect and positively manage change which may affect this aspect of the island's character and identity.

New development can affect skylines, views and vistas in two specific ways:

• by obscuring, in part or in whole, an important view or vista;

• by detracting from the quality of a landscape, seascape or townscape setting; or the setting of a landmark building, structure or landscape feature that comprises all or part of an important skyline, vista or view.

The following perspectives are considered to be of particular importance, and the impact of development upon them must be a consideration in the assessment of planning applications which affect them:

• views of the countryside and coastline from within the built-up area, and particularly from the town centre of St Helier and along the built-up area of the south and east coast (some of which is designated as part of the shoreline zone);

• views of the St. Helier skyline, particularly from strategic approaches to the town, on land and sea;

• views along and from the coastline and sea, particularly from the island's enclosed beaches and bays;

• the skyline and backdrop of inland escarpments and valley slopes which are highly prominent locations;

• views across open countryside, particularly to and from the inland ridges of the central plateau separating the island's main valleys;

• views into and from within conservation areas, as may be designated;

• the setting of listed buildings and places, where they are seen and experienced within a townscape, landscape or seascape context, and particularly the key landmark buildings of Mont Orgueil, Elizabeth Castle and Corbière Lighthouse; and

• key open land and strategic gaps between the edges of the built-up area which provide an important and distinct visual separation between urban centres and blocks of development.

Shoreline zone

The shoreline zone is defined is defined on the proposals map and represents the area where the built environment meets the sea. It embraces that part of the built-up area which lies seaward of the coast road in St Brelade's Bay; St Aubin's Bay; and along the south-east coast from La Collette to Le Hurel, and from Longbeach to Gorey Harbour.

The principal purpose of the shoreline zone is to ensure that existing open space, which affords views to the shoreline, is protected; and that the maintenance and enhancement of this visual access' to the coast is considered in the assessment of planning applications for development within it. It also seeks to protect and maintain physical access to the beach.

Figure GD4 – Shoreline zone

Views and intervisibility

The Jersey Integrated Landscape and Seascape Character Assessment[1] (ILSCA) sets out ten character types present across the landscape and seascapes of Jersey, which fall outside of the island's built-up areas but where views and vistas, including those between, from and within the

island, its coastline and its surrounding marine environment – known as intervisibility – are significant in defining people's appreciation and enjoyment of the island's natural environment. Each of the island's character areas presents key views and vistas which are important and need to be considered in the context of any development which might affect them, even if that development is not located within the particular character area:

• the cliffs and headlands of Jersey provide extensive views out to sea, to France, to other Channel Islands, and along the coast, and long-range coastal views, including the key viewpoints and settings of Mont Orgueil, Elizabeth Castle and Corbière;

• the coastal plains provide extensive views of the sea, coast and landmarks, such as defensive structures, as well as views inland;

• the escarpment slopes and skylines are particularly sensitive, forming the backdrop in views of Jersey from the sea and coast, and development here can, therefore, often be seen from a wide area;

• the rocky shores and bays of the island provide outstanding and very popular views from the accessible shoreline in bays and views from both land and sea must be considered;

• the bays with intertidal flats and reefs are one of Jersey's most distinctive and unique features contributing to the island's sense of place, resulting from the combination of geology, topography, currents and large tidal range. They contain outstanding views towards the land and out to sea and are also key to coastal views from land. Key landmarks and their settings, where they are visible from the intertidal bays, must also be considered, including Corbière Lighthouse, Mont Orgueil, Elizabeth Castle and St Aubin's Fort; and

• offshore reefs and islands at Les Ecréhous, the Paternosters, and Les Minquiers on a clear day, provide strong focal points in the seascape when viewed from Jersey. From the reefs are distinct and distant views of Jersey and France.

The remaining two terrestrial character areas also contribute to local views and vistas in the following manner:

• the enclosed valleys form the most extensive areas of woodland in the island. Views are enclosed within deep valleys incised by running water with valley floor meadows. The views are enclosed with locally open views. The impact of the green valley edges form punctuations in views from other character types, especially along the coast;

• the interior agricultural plateau is the most extensive character type forming the rural heartland of Jersey forming a settled and managed landscape. Views and vistas are generally visually contained, at small scale with an intimate feel, although elevated parts provide long views across open countryside and out to sea.

The St Helier Urban Character Appraisal provides details of important views within its assessment of each of the Town's character areas. The impact of development on these should be considered as part of the assessment of planning applications in the town. Elsewhere, the impact of development upon skyline, views and vistas should be considered as part of the assessment of development proposals relative to its local context. It is important to ensure, however, that this is not just limited to the immediate context of a development site; the impact of development on longer views

should also be considered. Consideration should also be given to the setting of listed buildings and places.

Clear analysis of the impact of development should be provided as part of the information submitted with a planning application[1] as part of the design statement where it affects the skyline,

views or vistas. Large-scale development, or those in prominent locations, should be supported by 3D models14 to enable this matter to be properly considered and assessed.

In order to protect the visual character and enjoyment of the island's urban, rural, coastal and marine environments further development will be strongly resisted where it will be obtrusive and prominent on the skyline and opportunity will be sought to repair it, where possible. The scale, height, colour or finish of existing buildings and structures which detract from an important skyline, vista or view will not be accepted as a precedent for their redevelopment where there is an opportunity to repair the skyline, vista or view with more sensitively scaled and designed development, and landscape reparation.

Where proposals would result in adverse impacts to a skyline, strategic view or important vista, evidence will be required as part of the application to demonstrate that there are overriding public benefits or needs to justify and outweigh any adverse impact. These situations may arise particularly where there is a requirement to deliver key elements of community and public infrastructure; or to deliver a public policy objective or need, such as the delivery of a new hospital or the provision of new coastal defences along parts of the island's shoreline. In such

circumstances, there will be a need to demonstrate that any such harm to skylines, views and vistas is reduced to the minimum through appropriate design considerations.

Policy GD9 – Skyline, views and vistas

The skyline, strategic views, important vistas, and the setting of listed buildings, places and key landmark buildings must be protected or enhanced.

Development that will lead to adverse impacts on the skyline, strategic views, important vistas, or the setting of listed buildings and places or key landmarks, by virtue of siting, scale, profile or design, will not be supported except where the overall benefit to the community of the proposal demonstrably outweighs the adverse effects of any harm.

Within the shoreline zone, the development of new buildings or infrastructure, new structures or extensions to existing buildings will only be supported where they do not obstruct significant views to, or involve the loss of open spaces which provide views to, the shoreline and sea.

Percent for art

Percent for art is a mechanism requiring a developer to allocate a proportion of the costs of new development towards the provision of public art. The scheme aims to benefit the island by integrating art and craft of the highest quality into our built environment, promoting community- led planning, and developing a legacy of public art and artistic expression, to be enjoyed and appreciated by islanders and visitors alike.

Public art encompasses a vast spectrum of art practices and forms: from permanent sculptures to temporary artworks; monuments; memorials; earthworks and land art; site-specific works; street furniture; integrated architectural designs; socially-engaged practices; community-based projects; and off-site museum and gallery programmes.

Well-designed, well-planned and well-executed public art projects can deliver a wide spectrum of positive outcomes that benefit people, places and developers alike. At a strategic level, the value to the island from public art is to strengthen and celebrate Jersey's cultural identity, enhance the quality and experience of the island's public realm, promote cultural production by local artists, support the creative economy and promote collaborative working, including with the community.

At a local level, the value to a development from public art includes its contribution to the character and identity of an area, and its contribution and relevance to a sense of place. It can also be an effective marketing tool, raising the profile of the development and attracting interest.

In development schemes, where the inclusion of art will be of public benefit, a contribution to public art of approximately 1% of the total construction cost of the development will be expected. However, the actual financial value and product arising from the contribution should be of a commensurate/reasonable scale and value to the scale of the development and the nature and origin of the artistic contribution.

For the purposes of this policy, those schemes where the inclusion of art will be of public benefit, are those projects of a more significant scale and will include proposals for:

• residential development of five or more dwellings; or

• non-residential development of 200sqm and above.

Public art should be procured and implemented by the applicant as part of new development proposals. The public art needs to be located in a position where it can be experienced by or is visible to the public, on land forming the application. Where this option cannot be delivered, the applicant will be required to justify reasons and have the option to procure and implement public art off-site, within the vicinity of the development site, on land which is accessible to the public, subject to agreement with the relevant landowner. Exceptionally, the applicant may be able to make a financial contribution to deliver public art in the vicinity of the site where the artistic intervention would benefit the community and wider area. Such provision may be commissioned and delivered by a third party. In both alternative cases, the developer will be required to enter into a planning obligation agreement to ensure delivery of the public art.

Development proposals which are required to include the provision of public art should be accompanied by a public art statement, which sets out the artistic brief, the arti t's response to the brief, a proposal for the public art, costings and agreement to procure the installation or public art from a named artist or artistic business.

It is strongly recommended that pre-application engagement is undertaken to discuss proposals for integrating public art into development proposals.

Proposal – Percent for art supplementary planning guidance

The Minister for the Environment will publish updated supplementary planning guidance to support the delivery of public art through new development.

Policy GD10 – Percent for art

A contribution to public art, of approximately 1% of the total construction cost of the development, will be required where the proposed development involves the provision of:

• residential development of five or more homes; or

• non-residential development of 200sqm and over.

For smaller development the provision of public art will be encouraged as a means of enhancing the quality of the development.

All public art proposals must be appropriate to the setting and scale of the surrounding area, enhancing the quality of place and contributing to local distinctiveness and cultural identity.

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Volume 3: Managing Development Natural environment

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Natural environment

This chapter provides an overview of the characteristics and quality of Jersey's natural environment, covering its biodiversity and geodiversity, both terrestrial and marine, and the intrinsic natural beauty and landscape and seascape character of the entire Bailiwick, out to its territorial limits. It sets out the policy framework for assessing change that affects it.  

Biodiversity and geodiversity

The Bailiwick of Jersey – consisting of 120 sqkm of land and 2,455 sqkm of marine waters - is an ecosystem of interconnected habitats, species and processes. Biodiversity is the variety and diversity of life and species that exist within this ecosystem and is present everywhere in the Bailiwick – from the centre of Town out to the island's territorial limits. Geodiversity is the variety of geological, geomorphological and soil features, which play a fundamental role in sustaining biodiversity.

Despite its relatively small size, Jersey has rich and diverse habitats. The island's terrestrial and

marine environments support a myriad of wildlife and the particular mix of species is unique. Jersey has a responsibility to protect and promote its unique biological heritage. The island also has a responsibility beyond its shores. The inter-dependence of ecosystems knows no political boundaries. Some migratory birds, for example, depend on habitats in Jersey to overwinter or breed. Their valued and intermittent presence here, as migrants, is dependent on the continued existence of suitable ecosystems thus demonstrating the island's shared responsibility on a global scale. Likewise, the natural environment is also important in national and international contexts, in terms of the role it plays with regards to climate change and achieving the island's net zero carbon goal. Jersey's wetlands are, for example, an important resource in terms of carbon sequestration.

Jersey's key sites and areas of biodiversity and geodiversity value are identified through a variety of different defined areas and designations, each of which has different regulatory or management objectives and requirements. Their importance, and relevance to the Island Plan and the planning process, is that they serve to identify the biodiversity value and significance of these sites and areas. Areas currently defined and designated are identified on figures NE1 and NE2. The new Wildlife (Jersey) Law 202-[1] also enables the designation of areas of special protection (ASP) which may be applied temporarily, such as during the breeding season for a particular species. It is, however, important to remain conscious that biodiversity value is to be found throughout the island – both within and outside of identified sites - and is a consideration in the assessment of all development proposals.

Sites of Special Interest (SSI) are formally designated under Planning and Building (Jersey) Law for their special ecological, zoological, botanical, scientific or geological value, or a combination of these[2]. Their designation allows greater regulation of activities, which might harm the special interest of these sites, through the planning system, even where the works may not amount to development.

The identification and designation of SSIs for the natural environment is based on the criteria set out in the Biodiversity Strategy[1]. There are currently 30 nature conservation SSIs and 22 geological SSIs[2] in Jersey, although research[3] suggests that there may be potential for more: Environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) do not enjoy any form of statutory designation or tighter regulation of development activity but serve to identify the island's key terrestrial habitat areas and the corridors linking them[4]. These valued areas are:

• Les Landes heathland;

• St Ouen's Bay habitats;

• North Coast habitats; especially heathlands, coastal grassland, maritime cliff vegetation and interconnecting habitats;

• Rozel area – predominantly coastal habitats and woodland, including St. Catherine's Valley;

• Grouville habitats;

• South-West Coast heathlands;

• Ouaisné to Noirmont coastal habitats;

• Valley woodlands and wet grasslands; and

• Rue des Près wet grasslands.

Jersey's marine environment has an incredibly rich biodiversity value of international significance which is represented by four designated Ramsar sites and three marine protection areas (MPA).

The purpose of Ramsar sites is the conservation of wetlands considered to be of international importance and for the wise sustainable use of their resources. Jersey's designated Ramsar sites cover a total of around 190 sqkm of the island's most valuable wetlands[5] at:

• South East Coast of Jersey;

• Les Écréhous and Les Dirouiles;

• Les Minquiers; and

• Les Pierres de Lecq (the Paternosters).

The purpose of MPAs is to protect marine species and habitats considered to be of international importance from potentially destructive fishing practices. There are three MPAs in Jersey waters, covering an area of around 150 sqkm, where such practices are prohibited under Sea Fisheries Law[6] at:

• Les Minquiers;

• Les Écréhous; and

• Inshore waters.

These areas were identified in order to protect key habitats, such as seagrass, maerl and kelp[7]. Although the purpose of these areas is to regulate fishing practices, it is important to recognise the biodiversity value of these areas where they are affected by development proposals.

Work has also been undertaken, and is ongoing, to identify and better understand the value of other key habitats in the marine environment. This is to ensure that there is a sound understanding of the island's key marine habitat areas, and that this information can be used to inform decisions about new development or uses within the marine environment. These habitat areas are shown in figure NE3.

Figure NE2: Biodiversity and geodiversity designations and defined areas (marine)

Figure NE3: High value marine habitats

Protection and improvement of biodiversity and geodiversity

The impact of development on biodiversity and geodiversity is an important consideration in the determination of planning applications. This includes development both within and outside of protected sites. The wider countryside, along with the buildings and gardens of the island's built-up areas, provide increasingly important habitats, roosting and nesting places for animals and birds, including protected species as identified in the Wildlife (Jersey) Law (202-).

To enable an understanding of the impact of a proposal on biodiversity and geodiversity, an appropriate level of supporting information will be required with all planning applications that have the potential to impact upon biodiversity or geodiversity, even where they might lie outside of a designated or defined site or area. This is required in order to understand the potential impact of the proposal on the significance of biodiversity and geodiversity (such as the impacts of development activity, improper management of invasive non-native species or disturbance through, for example, noise, lighting or recreational pressure).

The detail and content of this supporting information will be proportional to the scale of the proposal and its location, relative to sites and areas of biodiversity and geodiversity interest. The supporting information must show that features of biodiversity and geological interest, including habitats and protected species, will be protected.

Where proposals would result in the harm to, loss or partial loss of sites and areas of biodiversity and geodiversity interest, evidence will be required as part of the application to demonstrate that there are overriding public benefits or needs to justify, and outweigh, any adverse impact on the natural environment; or that there are no other mechanisms for supporting the retention of its environmental value. Where justification is sought on the basis of viability, viability assessments will be required to be published and subject to independent review, as part of the planning application process.

For all proposals, a mitigation hierarchy will be applied: this requires harm to biodiversity or geodiversity resulting from development to be avoided, adequately mitigated, or, as a last resort, compensated for, or not allowed.

To promote more sustainable forms of development, and to enhance the island's green infrastructure and green networks, development proposals which can make a positive contribution and improve the island's biodiversity will be encouraged. Public bodies, in particular, have a duty to have regard to the promotion of biodiversity and should seek to aim for and demonstrate that their development leaves the natural environment in a measurably better state than beforehand.

Policy NE1 – Protection and improvement of biodiversity and geodiversity Development must protect or improve biodiversity and geodiversity.

All development must ensure that the importance of habitats, designated sites and species is taken into account and should seek to improve biodiversity and geodiversity value and, where possible, to deliver biodiversity net gain.

The highest level of protection will be given to sites of special interest; marine protected areas and Ramsar sites.  

Applicants will need to demonstrate that a proposal will neither directly nor indirectly; singularly or cumulatively; cause harm to biodiversity or geodiversity value.

Proposals that could affect biodiversity or geodiversity, but which do not protect or improve it, will not be supported unless, and with regard to its status and environmental value, and the impact of the proposed development on that status and environmental value:

1. the changes are demonstrably necessary either to meet an overriding public policy objective or need; and
2. there is no reasonably practicable alternative means of doing so without harm; and
3. harm is reduced to the minimum through appropriate avoidance, minimisation, mitigation and/or compensation measures; or
4. it has been demonstrated that the predicted public benefit outweighs the harm.

Where development proposals may lead to an impact on biodiversity and geodiversity they must be accompanied by adequate information which demonstrates how biodiversity and geodiversity will be protected, and adverse impact avoided, minimised, mitigated or compensated for. Where the supporting information is insufficient to demonstrate the above, applications will not be supported.

Biodiversity net gain

Given the threats facing biodiversity and the rate at which biodiversity is being lost, the concept of biodiversity net gain is becoming increasingly important internationally. Biodiversity net gain is an approach to development that aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than beforehand. Where a development has an impact on biodiversity it should provide an increase in appropriate natural habitat and ecological features over and above that being affected in such a way that the current loss of biodiversity through development will be halted and ecological networks can be restored.  

The concept of 'biodiversity net gain' is not currently applied to the assessment of development proposals in Jersey, and its adoption and use here is at an earlier stage than in other countries. In England, the Environment Bill[1] has introduced the concept of mandatory net gain and set out the metrics by which this gain would be calculated. Prior to this, many local development plans

included a policy requiring biodiversity net gain, but evidence has shown that this policy alone was insufficient and that a wider legislative framework was required to achieve tangible outcomes. Specifically, without a legally binding obligation to achieve biodiversity net gain, it was often displaced by the weight of other material considerations in the planning balance. Without an established metric by which to measure gains, there was also a lack of consistency and transparency.  

To be able to apply and deliver biodiversity net gain in Jersey, a comprehensive approach to policies, frameworks and regulatory tools is needed. Detailed guidance and metrics are required, underpinned by a clear duty in legislation, so that the approach to measuring biodiversity is transparent and consistent. This will provide certainty to developers and will allow for biodiversity net gain to be properly considered at the point of land purchase. Without this robust legislative framework and guidance, the introduction of biodiversity net gain in planning policy would lack transparency, could create uncertainty and could have a negative impact on the viability of development in the island.

It is also considered appropriate to explore the introduction of an urban greening factor for Jersey. An urban greening factor[1] is a tool that evaluates and quantifies the amount and quality of urban greening that a scheme provides to inform decisions about appropriate levels of greening in new developments. Such an approach might be particularly appropriate for urban or smaller sites, which are more difficult to deliver biodiversity net gains on, but where a contribution to enhance green infrastructure and networks might still be delivered.

Further work is therefore needed in Jersey to define the biodiversity net gain and urban greening concepts and to consider how they would operate, including their inter-relationship with existing designations. This work will inform the next iteration of the Island Plan.  

The island's new Wildlife (Jersey) Law 202- imposes a duty upon public bodies to have regard to promoting the conservation of biodiversity. In order to support the delivery of this objective the Minister for the Environment will engage with, and strongly encourage, government-sponsored development schemes, including those to be delivered by arms-length agencies, to actively explore how the concept of biodiversity net gain might be delivered in Jersey during the plan period, in advance of its proposed adoption as part of the next Island Plan Review.

This will form part of the Minister for the Environment's obligation to designate and publish strategies for the conservation of biodiversity and to report on actions taken in pursuance of that duty, and will help inform the mandatory application of biodiversity net gain in the next Island Plan.

Proposal – Biodiversity net gain

The Minister for the Environment will undertake further studies to determine how the concept of biodiversity net gain and an urban greening factor could be developed and implemented as part of the legal framework in Jersey, and how it could be measured and monitored to ensure its application through the planning process.

To further this work, Minister for the Environment will strongly encourage government- sponsored development schemes to actively explore how the concept of biodiversity net gain might be delivered in Jersey during the plan period of this Island Plan.

This work will inform the policies of the next iteration of the Island Plan.

Green infrastructure and green networks

The term green infrastructure' refers to assets including open spaces such as parks and gardens, playing fields, allotments, woodlands, fields, trees, hedgerows, banques and ponds, as well as footpaths, cycle routes and streams. Assets involving water are sometimes called blue infrastructure', but these are all included within the overarching term of green infrastructure' within this Island Plan. Together, these green infrastructure assets form the island's green infrastructure network.

Green infrastructure assets are valued for their multi-functional benefits. These are wide-ranging and include adaptation to climate change, improved resilience to extreme weather events, enhanced biodiversity and ecosystem services, improved visual amenity and landscape quality, sustainable travel opportunities and improved public health and wellbeing. These assets are often more capable of meeting social, environmental and economic objectives than man-made grey infrastructure'[1] and should, therefore, be considered as an essential part of the infrastructure that enables society to successfully function. Taking a green infrastructure approach allows for socio- economic and health benefits to be integrated with environmental objectives, ensuring maximum benefit when planning, delivering and managing green infrastructure assets.  

Jersey's key identified sites and areas of biodiversity and geodiversity value are important 'nodes' in the green network. The coverage of existing protected sites alone is, however, unlikely to be sufficient to conserve Jersey's biodiversity. Enhancing the green network to provide greater connectivity between these protected areas is important to ensure that they do not simply become isolated islands rich in biodiversity. By creating habitat between protected areas, the overall biodiversity of the island will increase. A green network allows animals, birds, plants, seeds, nutrients and water the opportunity to spread and move across the island, providing the island's biodiversity with greater resilience in the face of a changing climate.

Work has been undertaken to identify priority corridors, which should be enhanced to create a better-connected network of habitats.[2] The areas of the island with the greatest potential to create wildlife corridors lie in the west and southwest of the island and among the wooded valleys and opportunity, through development, should be taken to enhance these, as well as to develop green networks throughout the island (see figure NE4).

Figure NE4: Jersey multi-species distribution, habitat suitability and connectivity modelling

Green infrastructure is present at all scales and requires careful consideration on a site-by-site basis. Some assets will be common to most sites – such as trees and hedgerows - which contribute significantly to the island's biodiversity, landscape character and sense of place. Development proposals must show how these important existing green infrastructure assets – and others that may be present – will be protected and designed in' as an integral part of development proposals and, where possible, improved.

The island's existing trees are of importance and should be retained. This is particularly important in the island's built-up areas, especially in Town, where trees are relatively scarce. Where a proposed development impacts on trees or hedgerows, a tree survey will be required. This will need to detail the location, genus, species, canopy size, root protection zone[1] to and ground level data at the

base of the trunk, together with an assessment of the condition of existing trees, in order to

properly assess and consider the implications of development for these important features.

Whilst designated on the basis of their amenity value, trees that feature on the list of protected trees should be retained, their loss only being permitted in exceptional circumstances. The same considerations should apply to the island's ancient, veteran and champion trees.

New development must also incorporate new green infrastructure assets. Green infrastructure can be incorporated into development in a number of ways, for example, through the incorporation of open space and recreational areas, planting of new trees and landscaping, sustainable green walls[2] green roofs and sustainable drainage (SuDS) features[3]. This is particularly important in the island's built-up areas, where green infrastructure is less prevalent, and where its introduction can be impactful and deliver multiple benefits for town residents and the urban environment. New green infrastructure should be appropriately designed to positively contribute to the visual character of the area, as defined in the Integrated Landscape and Seascape Character Assessment.

Opportunities to visually screen development should be considered, particularly in more rural settings. Landscaping must form an integral part of the development, and selection of new species should be appropriate to the site-specific context and be beneficial to the creation of the wider green network, with careful planning to avoid the introduction of non-native and invasive species.

This Island Plan, therefore, requires that all development protects, maintains and improves the island's green infrastructure networks. In particular, development within or near priority wildlife corridors will be required to protect and improve existing habitats by avoiding their fragmentation and creating new routes of continuous habitat or stepping-stone habitats. The contribution to green infrastructure should be proportionate to the scale of the proposed development and the rural or urban context. By using and enhancing existing green infrastructure assets, as part of a sensitively designed development, the quality of the development can be improved, whilst simultaneously strengthening the island-wide green network and resulting in a greater level of

benefit. The impact of development proposals on green infrastructure networks; and proposals for their improvement, must be informed by a biodiversity impact statement, to be submitted as part of a planning application.

Policy NE2 – Green infrastructure and networks

Development must protect and improve existing green infrastructure assets, and contribute towards the delivery of new green infrastructure assets and wider green infrastructure networks by:

1. retaining and improving existing green infrastructure, including trees, hedgerows, wetlands, ponds and watercourses, as far as is practicable;
2. incorporating the provision of new green infrastructure assets, which contribute to the creation of the island's green infrastructure network and are appropriate in nature and scale, taking into account the site-specific context and proposed use; and
3. ensuring green infrastructure assets, including tree root zones, are adequately protected during construction works.

The loss of protected, veteran, ancient and champion trees will not be supported except for where it can be demonstrated that they are dead, dying or dangerous.

Any development that would have an adverse impact on existing green infrastructure assets will be required to demonstrate that the benefit will outweigh the harm and provide details of how the features will be protected as far as practicable, and that measures are in place to minimise and/or mitigate their loss on-site, or will be otherwise compensated for.  

Proposals affecting green infrastructure assets which do not provide sufficient information to enable the likely impact of the proposals to be considered, understood and evaluated, will be not be supported.

Green infrastructure and network strategy

To realise the full extent of benefits, a green infrastructure network should be strategically planned, designed and managed as a multi-functional resource. To support the policies of the Island Plan, the Minister for Environment commits to preparing a wider green infrastructure and network

strategy, to identify and map the existing strategic network of green infrastructure across the island, along with an assessment of the interrelationships between these spaces.

The strategy will identify priorities for addressing deficiencies and should set out positive measures and opportunities for the design and management of all forms of green infrastructure. It will provide a coherent strategy for the delivery of green networks, across a range of initiatives.

Proposal – Green infrastructure and network strategy

The Minister for Environment commits to preparing a wider green infrastructure and network strategy, to identify the existing strategic network of green infrastructure and to outline priorities for addressing deficiencies through positive design and management.

Protection of landscape and seascape character

Jersey encompasses an extraordinary diversity of landscapes and seascapes, from patchwork fields to deep wooded valleys; from rugged coastal cliffs to sweeping flat sandy bays, and extensive intertidal reefs. The high scenic value of the landscape and seascape helps define Jersey's unique identity and character; contributes significantly to the quality of life, health and wellbeing of islanders; and is also important for the island's economic prosperity making it an attractive and distinct place to live and visit.

The diversity of landscape results from the underlying geology of the island and changes in topography, together with the interactions between the natural environment and historical and current uses, including human occupation, farming, fishing and travel. There is a dramatic and distinctive coastline, 90 km in length, much of which remains entirely natural. The coast is the area where landscapes and seascapes meet, resulting in attractive compositions and long, panoramic views of land, sea and sky. Beyond the land, Jersey's aesthetic richness continues: it has one of the largest tidal ranges in the world, at over 12 metres, meaning that up to 54 sqkm of intertidal reefs and flats[1] are diurnally exposed and make a significant and dynamic contribution to the natural character and identity of the island.  

The Jersey Integrated Landscape and Seascape Character Assessment (ILSCA)[2] provides an

objective assessment of the island's landscapes and seascapes and identifies ten distinctive

character types covering the terrestrial, intertidal and marine environments of the entire Bailiwick of Jersey, which are subdivided into 34 character areas (figures NE5 and NE6).

Figure NE5 – Terrestrial character areas (ILSCA)

Figure NE6 – Marine character areas (ILSCA)

The ILSCA also identifies 14 coastal units, typically relating to bays with headlands dividing them, where terrestrial, intertidal and marine character types and areas intersect (Figure NE7). The coastal units provide an additional layer of assessment focusing on the most complex area of the island's natural environment where many different character types and character areas meet and/or are inter-visible.

Figure NE7 – Coastal units (ILSCA)

Jersey Coastal National Park

Jersey's Coastal National Park is primarily a designation that is designed to protect its outstanding landscape and seascape character, along with its special heritage and biodiversity value. The purposes of the national park include:

1. the conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the park, and
2. the public understanding and enjoyment of its special qualities.

The inherent scenic quality of the park is an asset and a resource of benefit to islanders and visitors alike, and the purpose of the park which seeks to ensure the conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the park is always the primary consideration[1].

Figure NE8 – Coastal National Park

Development within the Coastal National Park should be compatible with the purposes of the park, in order to protect its special qualities[2]. It will need to accord with other policies throughout the plan in terms of the forms of development that may be acceptable within the park, and applicants will need to, in particular, justify the need for development to be located here. It is essential that development in the Coastal National Park protects or improves the landscape and seascape character of the park and ensures that these special qualities can continue to be enjoyed.  

Minor development

Development of any scale can adversely affect the qualities of the Coastal National Park because of its sensitive, fragile landscape. Buildings in the park presently have the same permitted development rights as those in other parts of the island, including the built-up area.

This means that minor changes - such as alterations and small extensions to dwellings, ancillary domestic buildings, swimming pools, driveways and other forms of hard landscaping, accesses, walls and fences, flags, satellite dishes and other antennae; as well as some changes to the public realm – can be made here without the need for planning permission.

Because of the special quality of the landscape in the Coastal National Park, the Minister wants to undertake further work to explore whether changes should be made to the rules which govern whether planning permission is required for minor works to buildings and places in the park. This will involve consultation with people who live and work in the Coastal National Park, as well as those who visit and use it, or have an interest in its protection.  

Any change to the rules would not be intended to prohibit all forms of minor development, which would be unreasonable and unrealistic, but simply to make a greater range of them subject to individual assessment to ensure that they do not harm the special landscape character of the Coastal National Park.

Proposal – Change permitted development rights in the Coastal National Park

The Minister for the Environment will explore changes to permitted development rights in the Coastal National Park in order to better protect its fragile and sensitive landscape character. This will include consultation with stakeholders on any proposed changes to the Planning and Building (General Development) Order.

The green zone

Development in the green zone should protect or improve the landscape character. Specific consideration needs to be given to the impact of development proposals on those landscape character types and areas within the green zone (as identified in the ILSCA) to determine their sensitivity and capacity to accommodate new development in accord with other policies throughout the plan in terms of the forms of development that may be acceptable here.

Protection of landscape and seascape character

This Island Plan seeks to protect (keep safe from harm) and improve the quality, character and appearance of all of the island's landscapes and seascapes which contribute to Jersey's natural environment. When considering proposals for development significant weight will be afforded to the island's landscape and seascape character and to the character type- and coastal unit-specific strategy and management guidelines set out in the ILSCA. As part of the assessment of development proposals, consideration will be given to the sensitivity of each of the island's existing character types and areas in terms of how vulnerable or robust the landscape or seascape character is; and to its capacity to accommodate change.

It is recognised that, as a small island, the coast and the countryside – including the Coastal National Park and the green zone - covers an environment where people live and work, and which is important for the island's economic and social well-being. Consideration of the need for and the management of development in these areas is addressed in other thematic policies throughout the plan: the impact of any development on landscape and seascape character here will, however, be a primary consideration in determining its acceptability.

To enable an understanding of the impact of a proposal on the character in which a site is located, an appropriate level of supporting information will be required with all planning applications that have the potential to impact upon landscape and seascape character, even where they might be located within the built-up area; and/or where they may have an impact on the landscape or seascape setting of the Coastal National Park. This is required in order to understand the potential impact of the proposed development on the landscape and seascape character and its sensitivity.

Determining the impact of development upon wider landscape and seascape character requires a thorough understanding and analysis of a site's context and its relationship with the wider area. The Integrated Landscape and Seascape Character Appraisal[1] provides guidance about how to understand the implications of a proposal on views and visibility. It also defines a series of coastal units setting out how terrestrial, intertidal and marine character types are related to one another to help to provide a framework for the proper assessment of development that might take place around the island's coastline, both within and outside the built-up area.

The detail and content of this supporting information will be proportional to the scale of the proposal and its location, relative to the landscape and seascape context. The supporting information must demonstrate that features of landscape and seascape character will be protected; by avoiding and minimising impact through good design and outlining any mitigation measures, as may be required. This should include the steps expressly taken to make a positive contribution to landscape and seascape character.

Policy NE3 – Landscape and seascape character

Development must protect or improve landscape and seascape character.

The highest level of protection will be given to the Coastal National Park, and its setting, and development within it should protect or improve its special qualities and be compatible with the purposes of the park including:

1. the conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the park, and
2. the public understanding and enjoyment of its special qualities20.

Applicants will need to demonstrate that a proposal will neither directly nor indirectly, singularly or cumulatively, cause harm to Jersey's landscape and seascape character and will protect or improve the distinctive character, quality, and sensitivity of the landscape and seascape character area or coastal unit as identified in the Integrated Landscape and Seascape Assessment.

Proposals that could affect the island's landscape and seascape character, but which do not protect or improve it, will not be supported unless, and with regard to the special qualities of the landscape and seascape character area or coastal unit, and the impact of the proposed development on those qualities:

1. the changes are demonstrably necessary either to meet an overriding public policy objective or need; and
2. there is no reasonably practicable alternative means of delivering those proposals without harm to landscape and seascape character; and
3. that harm has been avoided, mitigated and reduced as far as reasonably practicable; or
4. it has been demonstrated that the predicted public benefit outweighs the harm to the landscape and seascape character.

Proposals which result in the improvement of landscape and seascape character will be supported.

Where development proposals impact upon landscape or seascape character, even where they might not be situated within a landscape or seascape character area (including a location within the built-up area) they must be accompanied by adequate information which sets out how the proposal protects or improves landscape and seascape character. Where the supporting information is insuficient to demonstrate the above, applications will not be supported.

Volume 3: Managing Development Historic environment

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Historic environment

The historic environment is central to Jersey's cultural heritage and island identity. As one of its five strategic priorities, the Government of Jersey seeks to protect and value this environment to retain the island's sense of place, culture and distinctive local identity.

Jersey has an unusually rich cultural heritage: the island's unique political history; its strong cultural connections with both Britain and France; as well as the defensive issues that arise from its proximity to the French coast, have resulted in a distinctive historic environment. It has an exceptional geological record for the Ice Age documenting over a quarter of a million years of successive changes, with internationally significant Palaeolithic and Neolithic archaeological sites at La Cotte de St Brelade, Les Varines and La Hougue Bie.

The island's architectural tradition draws upon both English and French styles but is unique in its own right. French influences can be seen in church architecture and in high status houses. English influence can be seen from the early eighteenth century onwards when many houses were rebuilt, and in details such as English-style panelling, staircases, and the use of vertical sliding sashes, in the villas and terraces built around St Helier from the 1830s onwards. The many historic granite farm complexes, some featuring the twin-arched farmyard entrances and two storey combination sheds, are distinctive features of Jersey's countryside, and contribute significantly to its character.

There are also significant public buildings and places, such as the States Buildings in the Royal Square and the Central Market, together with a few remaining examples of maritime warehouses, railway buildings and watermills. The island also has a rich collection of historic roadside structures including lavoirs, milestones and post-boxes. Significantly, Jersey's strategic location throughout its history has resulted in the development of a wealth of fortification in the island including: Tudor and Georgian artillery forts; a chain of eighteenth and nineteenth century coastal towers; and incorporation in Hitler's Atlantic Wall, manifest in the bunkers, tunnels, towers and batteries constructed throughout the island during its occupation in the Second World War.

Islanders value the historic environment as part of their own cultural heritage and in linking the story of Jersey to that of the wider world. It gives distinctiveness, meaning and quality to the places in which we live, providing a sense of continuity and a source of identity, contributing to islanders' wellbeing. It is also a social and economic asset and a resource for learning and enjoyment and one that should be sustained for the benefit of present and future generations.

Change in the historic environment is, however, inevitable due to natural processes, the wear and tear of use, and people's responses to social, economic and technological change. Change, adaptation or development will often be the key to securing the future of historic buildings and places.

There is a need to manage change in ways that recognise and reinforce the significance of the historic environment and best sustain its heritage values, while accommodating the changes necessary to ensure its continued stewardship and enjoyment. This can provide opportunities to reveal or reinforce those values, which can enrich the historic environment, for present and future generations.

The repair and adaptation of the historic environment is an inherently sustainable activity that makes use of the embodied carbon[1] within the built fabric ofa historic building. Sympathetically upgrading and reusing existing buildings, rather than demolishing and building new, could

dramatically improve a building's energy efficiency and would make substantial energy savings because the carbon emissions already embodied within existing buildings would not be lost through demolition. Sensitively modernising and reusing historic buildings also contributes to local distinctiveness and there are numerous recent examples of this including Liberty Wharf, the Foot buildings in Pitt Street, and Le Seelleur Workshop in Oxford Road. Investment in the repair and continued use of our historic buildings and places can contribute to the economic recovery, following the Covid-19 pandemic, and longer-term financial wellbeing of the island.

Managing change by sustaining and shaping the values and significance of the historic environment, in ways that allow islanders and visitors to use, enjoy and benefit from it, without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same, helps to ensure the sustainable development of the island.

Identifying the historic environment

Jersey's heritage is not only part of the story and identity of the island, but also has significance and relevance beyond, by contributing to a wider understanding and appreciation of Jersey's place in shared global heritage. The identification and protection of the island's historic environment, and the promotion of an awareness and understanding of it, helps not only to achieve local objectives of sustainable development, but also to meet obligations in relation to international conventions,

and to support the island's wider reputation and identity.[1]

The heritage value of the historic environment in Jersey is identified through the formal designation of the island's buildings and places and their inclusion on a single statutory list[2]. Listed buildings

and places can embrace any part of the historic environment that are perceived by many as having a distinct identity, including under the ground or sea, ranging from post boxes to areas of submerged Neolithic intertidal peat bed. Buildings and places are listed in Jersey because they have a special interest that is of public importance. Most will be listed because they are of special historical or architectural interest, whilst others may have special archaeological, cultural or artistic interest. A comprehensive review of the island's historic environment was undertaken by the Government of Jersey working with Jersey Heritage, between 2011-2018, resulting in the listing of

over 4,000 listed buildings and places. This has ensured that, for the first time, the island's entire historic environment – including some its most significant heritage assets, such as castles, churches, forts and archaeological sites – benefits from statutory designation.

The designation process to add a building or place to the list is prescribed by law. They are also given one of four non-statutory grades, which provides an indication of significance, as set out below:

Table HE1: Listed building and places non-statutory grades

It is a longstanding proposal that conservation areas are introduced to Jersey. This will enable the designation and protection of areas of special architectural or historic interest where these are deserving of careful management to protect and improve that character; work is in train to bring this about[1].

Some elements of the island's historic environment are not formally designated – most obviously, the setting of listed buildings and places. Setting' is the way that the surroundings of a listed building or place contribute to how it is understood, appreciated and experienced by people. It is a dynamic concept and its extent is not fixed and may change as buildings, places and their surroundings evolve over time. Setting is not, therefore, defined in the schedule of a listed building or place and is likely to be unrelated to current land ownership, often extending beyond immediate property boundaries into the wider area; but nevertheless forms part of the understanding of the heritage value a building or place may have.

Areas of archaeological potential (AAPs) are also identified in Jersey where it is considered, on the basis of place name or other documentary evidence, that further heritage interest may exist but where there is currently insufficient justification to warrant formal designation through listing.

Managing change

Identifying the island's historic environment serves to ensure that changes to it are carefully considered in order to conserve, and where possible improve, its character. In managing change in the historic environment, conservation includes the objective of sustaining heritage value involving both its protection - to keep its special interest safe and to preserve it from harm and its improvement - recognising the potential for beneficial change to reveal and reinforce value. It is the means by which each generation aspires to enrich the historic environment and to make sure that its special interest can continue to be shared and enjoyed by future generations.

Extra planning controls and considerations apply to listed buildings and places and will also apply to conservation areas once the legislation needed to enable their designation comes into effect. These controls help to regulate and protect the historic and architectural elements which make these places special and extends to activities which do not amount to development, but which might affect their special interest.

Managing change in the historic environment begins with understanding and defining how, why, and to what extent it has historic, cultural and natural heritage value: in sum, its significance. Only through understanding the significance of a building or place is it possible to assess how the special interests that people value are vulnerable to harm or loss. Understanding and articulating the significance of a building or place is necessary to inform decisions about its future. Every

planning decision should be based on an understanding of the likely impact on the special interests of the fabric and other aspects of the building or place concerned.

This approach allows a precise recognition of a site's varying levels of significance and offers an objective way of assessing the scope for new intervention and change. Parts which have lesser heritage significance might, in some cases, be adapted or replaced to encourage new or continued use. This can enable development that will secure and sustain the future of those parts that are of high significance and where the special interest of the building or place is retained. If conflict cannot be avoided, the weight given to heritage values in decision-making should be proportionate to the significance of the building or place and the impact of the proposed change on that significance.

It is, therefore, essential that proposals affecting the historic environment are accompanied by detailed supporting information to enable the likely impact of the proposals to be properly understood, considered and evaluated. In order to identify, describe and assess the particular significance of any part of the historic environment that may be affected by development proposals (including any contribution made by their setting), it will be necessary to consult keys sources of information including:

• the listed buildings and places database: each of the island's listed buildings and places is accompanied by a listing schedule which sets out, the significance of the building or place; the basis of its special interest; a more detailed description; and an image and plan showing the spatial extent of the designation; and

• Jersey's Historic Environment Record (HER)[1] is an extensive complementary source of information, much of it online for the first time. It showcases Jersey's rich diversity of archaeological sites, finds and features, historic buildings and landscapes, as well as battlefield sites and local folklore.

Responding to climate change

One of the biggest drivers of change affecting the historic environment is climate change. Heritage is not only affected by the impacts of climate change but also by our responses to it for example, flood defences, sustainable energy generation and improving the energy efficiency of buildings.

The Government of Jersey has declared a climate emergency and is bringing forward a plan to identify how the island might reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and become carbon neutral by 2030.

The challenge of climate change demands a new approach to managing change to the built environment. Taking a whole life approach to buildings means prioritising our existing buildings by making refurbishment and reuse worthwhile. Such a fully sustainable approach to a low carbon future should see both the retention of most of the island's older buildings and an improvement of their energy and carbon performance. This will help them remain useful and viable, now and in the future, by reducing building obsolescence and increasing their longevity.

Many islanders live in listed buildings, where energy efficiency improvements, supported by regular maintenance and repair, can make homes more comfortable and compatible with modern lifestyles, as well as cheaper to run and protect their significance into the future.

Because of the variability in historic materials, plan forms, designs and construction methods, there are few one size fits all' energy improvement solutions appropriate for traditional homes and other

buildings. Such improvements require an approach that uses an understanding of a building in its context to find a balanced solution that saves energy, sustains heritage significance and maintains a comfortable, healthy indoor environment – the whole building approach'.

The twin objectives of improving energy performance of historic buildings and sustaining heritage significance are compatible and achievable. However, it is important to recognise that buildings of traditional construction do not perform in the same way as their modern counterparts, and that changes to building fabric, heating or ventilation to increase energy efficiency in older buildings can lead to unintended consequences. These can include moisture accumulation, overheating, fabric damage and ill health of householders and building users, due to poor indoor air quality. The whole building approach' ensures that improvements do not waste owners' funds on ineffective or harmful works, that may have unintended consequences, as well as negatively impacting the heritage significance of individual buildings and the island's historic environment in general.

Listed buildings and places

Jersey has a rich historic environment that represents a distinctive, unique and irreplaceable resource. It is a resource that is under pressure and threat of inappropriate change and loss. To retain the island's sense of place, culture and distinctive local identity its historic environment should be protected and valued; and the built environment improved, to help deliver the Government's strategic policy objectives.

The island's listed buildings and places are statutorily protected. This means that extra planning controls and considerations apply to listed buildings and places to regulate change to them and to protect the historic and architectural elements which make these places special, even when

changes might not amount to development.

The protection of listed buildings and places means that their special interest should be kept safe from harm and conserved in a manner appropriate to their significance.

Listing doesn't freeze a building or place in time. Change to the fabric of listed buildings and places and their settings is inevitable due to the need to maintain and adapt them in response to social, economic and technological change. Change, adaptation or development will often be the key to securing the future of historic buildings and places. In bringing forward changes to listed buildings and places and their settings, there will be a need to demonstrate a clear and comprehensive understanding of the special interest of the listed building or place and its setting, and the potential impact of change on its special interest and significance. This assessment will need to resolve the potential conflict between conserving the special interest of a listed building or place and other important public interests. It should, therefore, minimise adverse impact by seeking the least

harmful means of accommodating those interests.

Where proposals for change would have an adverse effect on the fabric or setting of a listed building or place its impact will be considered in the context of the special interest of the building or place as a whole, and whether they would adversely affect its essential character. The adaption

or replacement of fabric or elements which have lesser heritage significance might, in some cases, be supported to facilitate new or continued use. This can enable development that will secure and sustain the future of those parts that are of high significance and where the overall special interest of the building or place is retained.

Proposals to extend or alter listed buildings and places- whether employing a contemporary or traditional design approach - should demonstrate how they will protect or improve the special interest or character of the building or place. In particular, extensions to listed buildings should

demonstrate how they are subservient to the existing building and do not conflict with the form, profile or detail of the original building or detract from its character and significance.

Alterations to listed buildings and places should be of an appropriate design and scale, using traditional materials and incorporating skilled work and craft. Any replacement of the fabric of listed buildings or places should be kept to a minimum in order to maintain the integrity, authenticity and character of the building or place. The removal of historic fabric, which might include roofing materials, elevational treatments (such as render or stucco) and their replacement with modern alternatives, will not be supported. The addition of external items, such as: satellite dishes, antennae, signs, solar panels and roof lights, which would adversely affect the special interest or character of a listed building or place and its setting, are unlikely to be acceptable.

The retention and enhancement of traditional shopfronts are important to the character of place, even if the retail use has ceased. Where modern shopfronts have replaced traditional or older forms, at the time of change the insertion of a more appropriate historic form will be encouraged. In all cases the use of external security shutters will not be supported. Illumination will only be supported where this replaces existing lighting, or the use of the premises can demonstrate a contribution to the evening economy.

Retaining historic buildings in a viable use is key to their retention and maintenance. Proposals that allow for viable uses which are compatible with the conservation of the fabric of the building, and which protect its special interest and its setting will generally be supported. Any changes that would cause harm to the special interest of the listed building or place should be limited to what is necessary to sustain its ongoing use, with impacts mitigated where possible.

The loss or removal of a listed building or place undermines the objectives of the Government's commitment to protect the historic environment and its contribution to island identity. There is a presumption against the demolition of a listed building or place, in whole or in part. Where the special interest of a building or place includes its internal fabric, the substantial removal of internal fabric in a single phase of development will be construed to be partial demolition.

Where proposals would result in the harm to, loss or partial loss of a listed building or place, evidence will be required as part of the application to demonstrate that there are overriding public benefits or needs which justify, and outweigh, any adverse impact on the historic environment; or that there are no other mechanisms for supporting the retention of its heritage value. Where justification is sought on the basis of viability, publication of viability assessments will be required and subject to independent review, as part of the planning application process.

In the case of demolition, in whole or in part, justification for this course of action might arise where a building is structurally unsound and is technically incapable of repair; or the demolition or partial demolition relates to a structure which detracts from the special interest of the listed building or place. In exceptional circumstances there may be overriding public policy objectives, related to the delivery of other Government priorities, such as the provision of strategic infrastructure, or compliance with specific policies (for example, improving access for people with disability or sustainability), which would add weight to a proposal for partial or full demolition of a listed building or place. The weight given to heritage values in decision-making should be proportionate to the significance of the building or place and the impact of the proposed change on that significance, together with an assessment of the public benefit to be derived from a demolition proposal. To ensure the protection of the island's historic environment the wholesale loss of any listed building would require exceptional justification where it can be demonstrated that public benefit outweighs harm.

The environmental sustainability of the historic environment must include consideration of the whole life carbon of historic buildings and not just focus on their operational energy use only. The use of life cycle assessment offers a more complete measurement method of all carbon emissions, both embodied and operational. Early research[1] shows that sympathetically upgrading and reusing existing buildings, rather than demolishing and building new, could dramatically improve a building's energy efficiency and would make substantial energy savings because the carbon emissions already embodied within existing buildings would not be lost through demolition.

If conflict cannot be avoided, the weight given to heritage values in decision-making should be proportionate to the significance of the building or place and the impact of the proposed change on that significance.

In cases where there is any approved alteration to or loss of historic built fabric from, listed buildings or places, there will be a requirement for an appropriate level of recording and analysis to be undertaken and subsequently publication including to the island's Historic Environment Record. This may also include requirements, especially in the case of works affecting places of archaeological interest, relating to the treatment and care of archival material. Any such requirements will be secured through planning condition or obligation attached to any such permission.

Setting

The setting of a listed building or place relates to its surroundings, and the way in which it is understood, appreciated and experienced by people within its context. Buildings and places were almost always placed and orientated deliberately, normally with reference to the surrounding topography, resources, landscape and other structures within the environment, and this is part of their heritage value. These relationships may change as buildings, places and their surroundings evolve over time. The setting of a listed building or place is not fixed and is consequently not defined in the schedule of a listed building or place.

The setting of a listed building or place is likely to be unrelated to current land ownership, often extending beyond immediate property boundaries into the wider area. Setting, however, forms part of an understanding of the heritage value a building and/ or a place may have and is an important material consideration in the assessment of the impact of proposals for change affecting the historic environment.

Policy HE1 – Protecting listed buildings and places, and their settings

Proposals that could affect a listed building, or place, or its setting, must protect its special interest.

All proposals should seek to improve the significance of listed buildings and places.

Proposals for the re-use of listed buildings and places with compatible uses, which secure the long-term protection of their special interest, including the protection of their setting, will be supported.

Proposals that could affect a listed building or place, or its setting, but which do not protect or improve its special interest or protect its setting, will not be supported unless, and with regard to the comparative significance of the listed building or place, or its setting, and the impact of proposed development on that significance:

1. the changes are demonstrably necessary either to meet an overriding public policy objective or need; and
2. there is no reasonably practicable alternative means of delivering those proposals without harm to the heritage values of the listed building or place, or their settings; and
3. that harm has been avoided, mitigated and reduced as far as reasonably practicable; or
4. it has been demonstrated that the predicted public benefit outweighs the harm to the special interest of the building or place in its setting.

Where exceptionally, approval is given to demolish or substantially alter a listed building or place, a programme of recording and analysis, and archaeological excavation where relevant, will be required as part of the implementation of the scheme, together with publication of that record to an appropriate standard in the Historic Environment Record.

Applications for proposals affecting listed buildings and places must be supported by sufficient information and detail to enable the likely impact of proposals to be considered, understood and evaluated. Where this is not the case, applications will not be supported.

Protection of historic windows and doors

Historic windows and doors form an integral part of the fabric of old buildings and contribute significantly to the special interest of listed buildings or the character of buildings in conservation areas. Whilst conservation areas have yet to be formally designated in Jersey the impact of development on them will be an important consideration when this policy provision is activated.

The characteristics of historic windows and doors derive from a whole range of inter-related shapes, sizes, details, colours and materials. It can often, therefore, be the fine detail that is important, and not just a broadly similar overall effect or aesthetic. The size, shape and position of the openings are significant, as are the form, design and materiality of the framing and glazing.

Historic windows and doors bear witness to the artistic, social, cultural, economic and technological developments of the past. Their design and detailing were influenced by contemporary architectural fashion and reflected the status of the building and, often, the rooms within it. Their style, detailing and materials help us to understand when a building was constructed or altered, its function and advances in related technology. Much of a building's character comes from its windows and doors.

A change to the style or appearance of windows or doors can disrupt the overall appearance and harmony of a building. The impact of change can be dramatic and of detriment not only to the individual historic building but also to the character of townscape and landscape which can, cumulatively, undermine the character, identity and distinctiveness of the island.

Unfortunately, much damage has already been done and the character of many of our buildings, and consequently our island's heritage, has been eroded by the installation of modern, unsympathetic windows and doors in historic buildings. This damage does not represent a precedent for further damage by future development. In recognition of the importance of windows and doors in historic buildings, and their role in helping to deliver the Government's objective to protect and promote the island's identity, there is a requirement for planning permission to be sought for the replacement of any external window or door in a listed building and, once

designated, in a building in a conservation area.

Improving energy efficiency

Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is necessary and important in addressing the challenges of climate change and in reducing the cost of heating: improving thermal performance is often a major driver for change to historic windows and doors. In many cases cost-effective and sustainable improvements to the energy efficiency of historic buildings can be achieved without damage to their special interest or character: specific provision is made in the building byelaws for this to happen.

It is important to consider heat loss throughout the entire envelope of a building, taking a whole building approach. In most cases less invasive approaches than the introduction of double-glazing or window replacement can be more cost-effective in both the short and longer term. Historic buildings are constructed from materials that allow more natural ventilation and a building to breathe, rather than the barrier techniques used in modern construction. It is important to ensure that improvements do not waste owners' funds on ineffective or harmful works that may have unintended consequences. Single-glazed windows are, however, often the worst-thermally performing element in a building and a readily identifiable route for heat loss, especially in buildings with large window-to-wall ratios.

The embodied carbon[1] within historic windows, doors and associated historic fabric also has a bearing in considering impacts on carbon and the island's commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Features, such as historic windows and doors, hold carbon and form part of the overall calculation of embodied energy. Loss of external features damages both the host historic building and reduces the island's ability to meet carbon targets. It is also clear that new windows and doors require products that are derived from the petrochemical industry and the importation of materials including timber. Hardwood is often the preferred material, bringing its own challenges of responsible sourcing. This policy looks to allow balance, allowing for replacement at the end of life of a window or door, but to not lose historic windows when looking to resolve issues of thermal performance.

There are several methods of improving the energy efficiency of existing windows. Low-key and low-cost improvements include applying low-emissivity window films onto or behind the glass. At night, considerable improvements to heat loss can be obtained by lined curtains, insulated blinds, or using historic shutters, which may also be insulated. A combination of the above measures can be particularly effective. The addition of secondary glazing can also deliver significant heat loss

reduction, whilst leaving original windows intact. The introduction of these simple, cost-effective measures, which can be achieved without damage to the special interest or character of historic buildings, is encouraged and will be supported.

Where no historic glass survives it can sometimes be possible to retrofit thin double-glazing within existing window and door frames to enhance the thermal performance of windows. Where window replacement is justified it may be possible to incorporate double-glazing into the new window frames and glazing to new doors where this replicates a historic pattern. The design, material(s) and detailing of any framing for double-glazing will need to ensure the design is faithful and appropriate to the special interest or character of the building.

Assessment of significance

Repairs and alterations to a historic building should protect its special interest or character. The significance of windows and doors and the contribution that they make to the special interest of listed buildings or the character of buildings in conservation areas must be understood where changes are proposed which affect these features.

It is essential to determine whether windows and doors are original to the building or, if later, whether they are of historic significance in their own right: for example, being part of a planned scheme of alteration to the building.

The assessment of the significance of windows and doors to the special interest of listed buildings or the character of buildings in conservation areas is, therefore, critical in helping to determine whether they should be repaired, or whether they can be replaced. An outline as to how the assessment of significance of windows and doors can help shape a strategy for their repair or replacement is set out in figure HE1.

Figure HE1: Historic window and door repair and replacement decision-tree

Proposals affecting windows and doors in historic buildings need to be accompanied by detailed supporting information to enable the significance of windows and doors, and the impact of

proposed change, to be properly understood, considered and evaluated. This information will allow an appropriate strategy for their repair or replacement to be developed.

Repair

Where windows and doors are original or of historic significance they and their component parts should be repaired on a like-for-like basis. This will best protect significant parts of the fabric of the building and its special interest or character.

Historic windows and doors, if well maintained can last almost indefinitely. When carefully overhauled and draught-proofed, they can provide a level of performance, which in terms of noise reduction and air infiltration, compares well with many alternative products made from plastic and aluminium.

Traditional windows can often be simply and economically repaired, usually at a cost significantly less than replacement. For timber windows this is largely due to the high quality and durability of the timber that was used in the past (generally pre-1919) to make windows. Properly maintained, old timber windows can enjoy extremely long lives. It is rare to find that all windows in an old building require replacement. Many historic components continue to give service after 150, 200 or even 250 years. Traditional metal windows can also usually be economically repaired and their thermal performance improved, avoiding the need for total replacement.

The whole-life environmental costs of replacement will be much greater than simply refurbishing. It will take many years before savings on heating offset the large amounts of energy used to make new windows, especially those made of PVC-u. Repairing traditional windows, rather than replacing them, is not only more sustainable but makes better economic sense, particularly when the use of shutters or secondary glazing to improve their thermal performance is taken into account. Cost is not, therefore, an acceptable planning consideration in preferring replacement windows or doors over repair.

Replacement

It will only be acceptable to replace historic windows and doors where the joinery is beyond repair or are not of historic interest or significance to the special interest or character of a building. Proposals for replacement windows or glazing that results in the loss of historic glass are not, however, appropriate and will not be supported.

Proposals for replacement windows can involve replacing just the individual sashes or casements, or the box frame or timber frame as well. Likewise, proposals for doors can involve replacing the door or the frame. When a historic window or door, or elements of it, that is beyond repair is being replaced the new window or door, or its component parts, should carefully replicate the original, with the same joinery and glazing details. In some cases, double-glazing can be incorporated within historically authentic window joinery; where this can be achieved, it will be supported where it does not involve the loss of historic glass.

The replacement of an inappropriate modern window or door, that has already replaced an historic window or door in a historic building, with an appropriate new timber or, where appropriate, a

metal unit will be supported where such proposals carefully replicate or restore the historic window or door forms in terms of materials, method of opening, proportions, dimensions, visual weight, decorative details and finish. As improved thermal performance is likely to be the major driver for change in most of these cases, there will be a desire for double-glazing. Care is required to adapt the detailed design of new windows or doors to incorporate double-glazed units having regard to the age, type and particular characteristics of the host building, including any existing historic windows.

In all cases, replacement windows and doors should replicate historic detailing and forms; be made of timber or in later buildings, metal, as appropriate. The detailing should frame new glazing in structural glazing bars with a putty-like external finish. Vertical sliding sashes should be balanced by weights in a box frame (not spiral-balanced or employ the use of other mechanical means of controlling window opening). Timber windows should normally be painted, not stained: and in St Helier, in particular, adopt a traditional two-colour system. If additional controlled ventilation is required, trickle vents should be designed as part of the window system, without plastic or metal outer hoods; and the insertion of extractor fans should be avoided.

Proposals involving the replacement of more modern windows and doors in more recent extensions to historic buildings will be assessed on their individual merits. In these cases, judgements will need to be made about the form and design of the replacement windows and doors relative to: the period of the extension; its relationship to the historic building; the existing detailing; and the proportions of the window and door openings.

All proposals for replacement windows and doors should take account of the special interest or historic character of the host building. Replacements should protect and, where possible, improve the special interest or character of the building.

Policy HE2 – Protection of historic windows and doors

Historic windows and doors in listed buildings or buildings in a conservation area, which are of significance to the special interest or character of a building, should be repaired using materials and detailing to match the existing.

Where it can be demonstrated that repair of historic windows and doors is not feasible, proposals for their replacement will be supported where the replacements replicate the historic window and door in all respects including: the method of opening, materials, proportions, dimensions, visual weight and detailed design.

Where it can be demonstrated that existing windows and doors have little or no significance to the special interest of a listed building or the character of a building in a conservation area, proposals for their replacement will be supported where the replacements replicate the historic forms in all respects, including: the method of opening, materials, proportions, dimensions, visual weight and detailed design.

The replacement of more modern windows and doors in more recent extensions to listed buildings or buildings in a conservation area should have regard to the special interest or historic character of the property. Any replacement windows and doors should protect and, where possible, improve the special interest or character of the building.

Proposals to improve energy efficiency, where they affect historic windows and doors, will be supported where it can be demonstrated that they do not harm the special interest of a listed building or the character of a building in a conservation area.

Applications for the replacement of windows and doors in listed buildings or buildings in a conservation area must be supported by sufficient information and detail to enable the significance of windows and doors, and the impact of proposed change upon them, to be properly understood, considered and evaluated. Where this is not the case, applications will not be supported.

Historic and architectural character

Conservation areas

It is a longstanding proposal that conservation areas are introduced in Jersey to enable the designation and protection of areas of special architectural or historic interest where they are deserving of careful management to protect and improve that character, and work is in train to bring this about.[1]

Conservation areas protect and manage the character and appearance of a place that has a special architectural and historic quality and distinctiveness. This can be achieved by the application of

extra planning controls in conservation areas to; protect from harm those historic and architectural features which provide the place with its special character and distinctiveness; and, to improve it, by reinforcing and adding to its character through beneficial change. The special character of conservation areas is broader than just the quality of the buildings. Other elements such as: the historic layout of roads; paths and boundaries; characteristic building and paving materials; street furniture, trees and open spaces can all contribute to the character of a place, creating a distinct sense of place and local identity.

The designation of conservation areas provides broader protection to the character and appearance of distinct places in the island rather than just the listing of individual buildings. The need for some form of area-based protection for the historic environment and the introduction of conservation areas was first mooted in the 1987 Island Plan. Work to provide the legal framework to enable their designation is now, at last, underway.

The designation of conservation areas will be based on areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to protect or improve. The criteria used to identify and determine the boundaries of conservation areas will be set out in supplementary planning guidance; the basis for the regulation and management of change in conservation areas will be set out in secondary legislation.

There are a number of places in the island with a special and distinctive character where conservation area designation would protect or improve their qualities including: parts of St Helier; the environs of some of our small harbours; parish churches and agricultural hamlets. Areas for potential designations might include, for example, Havre des Pas, Gorey Harbour, and the environs of many of the island's parish churches. The Minister for the Environment proposes to designate the island's first conservation area in St Aubin.

Each area considered for designation will, however, be assessed on its own merits and brought forward following engagement and consultation with the parish authorities, local residents, businesses and other key stakeholders, including heritage organisations. The process for designation will be set out as part of the legal framework for conservation areas, once changes are made to planning legislation that will enable them to be designated.

Each conservation area will have its own character appraisal to identify and define its special interest. Conservation area appraisals will be adopted as supplementary planning guidance and will inform decisions made in the planning process to protect or improve the character or appearance of the designated conservation area.

Proposal – Conservation area designation

The Minister for the Environment will seek to ensure that the requisite legal framework, and supporting supplementary planning guidance, is in place to enable the identification and designation of conservation areas during the plan period.

It is proposed that the first conservation area is designated in St Aubin during the plan period following engagement and consultation with the parish authorities, local residents, businesses and other key stakeholders, including heritage organisations.

Permitted development in conservation areas

The character and appearance of conservation areas can be vulnerable to incremental changes to buildings and spaces such as the replacement of doors, windows and roof coverings; loss of mature trees; and the erection of fences. These cumulative changes can result in visual harm and loss of historic character. For this reason, permitted development rights are reduced or removed in conservation areas in order to control any changes which might otherwise be detrimental to their character or appearance.

Changes to the public realm and the spaces between buildings in conservation areas, including: trees; street furniture; lighting, road signage, and the surface treatment of public open spaces, such as roads and footpaths, can have a significant effect on the character or appearance of a place. Thus, the townscape and streetscape' needs to be considered in its entirety. Further changes to the legal framework will be made to ensure that such changes can be appropriately regulated.

Whilst some changes have already been made to the rules which govern the need for planning permission in Jersey, in anticipation of the introduction of conservation areas, these will be reviewed, in light of the findings of the recent Historic Environment Review[1], to determine whether they are comprehensive and appropriate. Any proposed change will be the subject of consultation.

Proposal – Review permitted development rights for conservation areas

The Minister for the Environment will review permitted development rights to ensure that they are sufficiently comprehensive in order to regulate change which might affect the character or appearance of conservation areas.

Any proposed change to the Planning and Building (General Development) Order will include public and stakeholder consultation.

Protection of historic and architectural character

The designation of places in the island as conservation areas is not intended to prevent development, redevelopment or improvement. The purpose of conservation area designation is to protect from harm or improve the character and appearance of the area. There is a need to pay special attention to the impact of new development proposals on the distinctive qualities, local identity, sense of place and settings of conservation areas.

Very careful consideration will need to be given to the design of development proposals, their mass, scale, form, materials and detailing of building alterations to protect the character and appearance of the conservation area and its setting from harm, or to improve it through beneficial change. The elevational treatment of all facets of any development, and its roofscape, is as important as that of main façade or street frontage of a building.

Where specific land uses within a conservation area are important to its character the impact of changing the use of buildings or land will also require careful consideration to mitigate or manage associated implications. Changes to the volume or type of vehicular traffic generated by new development can, for example, have implications for noise, disruption, congestion and ease of pedestrian movement, affecting the character of a place.

Conservation areas will be designated within both urban and rural contexts. The views into and out of a conservation area are important to its setting. Development proposals will need to ensure that they do not damage or truncate these views in a manner that would harm an area's defined character. Development to the edge of an area; in elevated positions adjacent or near to it; or in a wider setting, must have regard to the special character of the conservation area.

Where proposals would result in harm to the character or appearance of a conservation area, evidence, in support of an application, will be required to demonstrate that there are overriding public benefits or needs, to justify any adverse impact on the historic environment. There may be overriding public policy objectives, related to the delivery of other Government policies, such as the provision of strategic infrastructure, or compliance with policy related to disability. Any changes that would cause harm to the character or appearance of a conservation area should be limited to what is necessary, and the impacts avoided, mitigated and reduced so far as possible.

Policy HE3 – Protection or improvement of conservation areas

Development within a conservation area will be supported where it protects or improves the character or appearance of the area and its setting; and, where relevant:

1. it is appropriate in terms of its scale, height, mass, vertical and horizontal emphasis, proportions, layout, siting, landscaping and other matters of design such as roofscape, architectural style and detailing to include colours, textures and materials;
2. its use and development characteristics take account of and satisfactorily relates to context and adjoining buildings; protects or improves the street scene; and does not detract from important existing spaces;
3. building materials and means of enclosure are appropriate to the locality and context of the conservation area and are sympathetic to those of existing and nearby buildings in terms of type, texture, colour and size;
4. new means of access and parking provision does not detract from the character of the area or generate excessive traffic;
5. it retains important architectural and historical features of the conservation area, such as traditional street furniture, walls and paving;
6. it retains important open areas and natural features (such as trees and hedges) and should include measures to improve them, where possible and appropriate to do so; and
7. it does not spoil or detract from views and vistas into, within and out of the conservation area if they are important to the character or appearance of the area.

Proposals for the re-use of buildings in conservation areas with compatible uses, which protect or reinforce their contribution to the character or appearance of the area, will be supported.

Proposals which harm the character or appearance or setting of a conservation area, will not be supported unless:

1. the changes are demonstrably necessary to meet an overriding public policy objective or need; and
2. there is no reasonably practicable alternative means of doing so without harm; and
3. that harm has been reduced to the minimum consistent with achieving the objective; or
4. it has been demonstrated that the predicted public benefit decisively outweighs the harm to the character or appearance of the conservation area or its setting, having

regard to the benefits to the conservation area itself and/or the island community.

Applications for proposals affecting conservation areas must be supported by sufficient information and detail to enable the likely impact of proposals to be considered, understood and evaluated. Where this is not the case, applications will not be supported.

Demolition in conservation areas

The challenge of climate change demands a new approach to managing building re-use in the built environment. Taking a whole life' approach to buildings means prioritising our existing buildings by making refurbishment and reuse worthwhile. Such a fully sustainable approach to a low carbon future should see both the retention of most of the island's older buildings and an improvement of their energy and carbon performance. This will help them remain useful and viable, now and in the future, by reducing building obsolescence and increasing their longevity.

Demolition can have significant visual impacts. The partial or wholesale loss of buildings and structures, including walls, outbuildings and paving materials can undermine and damage the

character of a place. Conservation areas are particularly sensitive and, therefore, any proposal to demolish buildings and other structures in these areas will require careful consideration.

Consent will only be granted for the demolition, wholly or in part, of a building or structure within a conservation area where any harm caused to the character of the conservation area is outweighed

by demonstrable benefits resulting directly from its demolition. If demolition is proposed because it is not considered practical or viable to repair and renovate a building or structure, this will need to be clearly demonstrated through the submission of objective evidence as part of any planning application.

If approval is given for the demolition of a building or structure in a conservation area, this will be conditional upon an agreed contract of works for redevelopment or landscaping being in place before demolition can commence, which will be secured by a condition on the decision notice or a planning obligation agreement. This is necessary to ensure that vacant sites, unsightly gaps, dereliction and inappropriate meanwhile uses do not occur as a result of demolition.

Policy HE4 – Demolition in conservation areas

The demolition of a building or structure in a conservation area will only be supported where it can be demonstrated that;

1. it is not practically feasible to repair and/or re-use the existing building or structure; or
2. it is not of intrinsic architectural, historic or townscape importance and its removal or replacement would improve the character or appearance of the area; or
3. its removal would allow the restoration or redevelopment of a larger site where this would improve the character or appearance of the conservation area.

Permission for the demolition of a building or structure in a conservation area will be conditional on it not being demolished until either: detailed planning permission for the redevelopment of the site has been obtained and a contract for its redevelopment is in place; or a landscaping scheme is submitted and agreed and a contract for its implementation and subsequent maintenance is in place.

Proposals for the demolition of buildings and structures in a conservation area must be supported by sufficient information and detail to enable the likely impact of proposals to be considered, understood and evaluated. Where this is not the case, applications will not be supported.

Archaeological heritage

Jersey has an incredibly rich archaeological heritage and has emerged as a key location for understanding human evolution and survival over a quarter of a million years of climate change. The island's exceptional geological record illustrates successive changes in the planet's climate, rising and falling sea levels, as well as evidence for the humans and animals which were able to survive in northern Europe during this time. Our archaeological heritage can be found above and below the ground; at our offshore reefs; in our surrounding seas; and within the fabric of our buildings. The island's archaeological resources have an intrinsic value; provide irreplaceable evidence and learning about our shared past and Jersey's role in a wider context; contribute to our sense of identity; and form an increasingly important part of the island's tourism and cultural offer.

Archaeological resources are irreplaceable and, in many cases, highly fragile and vulnerable to damage and destruction. Appropriate protection and management of this aspect of the historic

environment is essential to ensure that our archaeological heritage survives and that we can continue to learn from it.

Identifying places of archaeological interest

The heritage value of the historic environment in Jersey is identified through the formal designation of the island's buildings and places and their inclusion on a single statutory list.[1] Buildings and places are listed in Jersey because they have a special heritage interest that is of public importance, and this embraces special archaeological interest. There are currently over 100 listed places which benefit from statutory designation because of their special archaeological interest.

Listed places of archaeological interest are assigned one of three non-statutory grades. The grading system gives an indication of significance:

Table HE2: Listed places non-statutory grades

Some elements of the island's historic environment are not formally designated: such as areas of archaeological potential (AAPs). Areas of archaeological potential are identified and defined where it is considered that archaeological interest may exist, usually on the basis of place names or other documentary evidence, and where there is currently insufficient justification to warrant formal designation through listing.

Identifying places in the island and designating them as listed places, where their archaeological significance is known; or identifying their potential significance as areas of archaeological potential, helps to ensure that the protection of our archaeological heritage is considered when proposals for development emerge. We know, however, that the island's archaeological interest is not just limited to these defined areas of interest.

Since archaeological sites were first formally recognised and considered as part of the planning process in Jersey in 2008, there has been a significant amount of research and further investigation into the island's archaeological past. This has involved leading UK academic teams and a review and collation of local archaeological records alongside the development of Jersey Historic Environment Record (HER). All of this work has highlighted that there is considerable potential for the survival and identification of further archaeological resources in Jersey, not least associated with its scientifically important Quaternary deposits; marine; battlefield;[2] and mill archaeological heritage, all of which remains vulnerable to the impact of development.

Protecting archaeological heritage

Through the planning system, change to our historic environment can be properly managed. Decisions impacting archaeological heritage, whether formally designated or not, must be based on a thorough understanding of its significance and the likely impact of development upon it.

Where development may affect archaeological resources, planning applications must be supported by an appropriate archaeological assessment. This should be carried out, paid for and provided by the applicant. The nature of archaeological assessment will vary depending upon the

archaeological sensitivity and significance of the resource and the extent of existing information. Any archaeological assessment must provide sufficient information to enable an informed planning decision to be made having regard to the significance of the archaeological resource and the likely impact of the proposed development on archaeological heritage. In some cases, where the sensitivity of archaeological resources is very high, further specific targeted on-site evaluation may be required to assess the likely impacts prior to the determination of a planning application.

The excavation of archaeological resources results in the total destruction of evidence (apart from removable artefacts). The science of archaeology is progressing rapidly. In the future it will be possible to extract more information from archaeological resources than is currently possible. Non- invasive surveys can help evaluate likely archaeological heritage and, in some cases, replace damaging excavations. Excavation is expensive and time-consuming, and discoveries may have to be evaluated in a hurry against an inadequate research framework. The conservation of archaeological resources, involving physical preservation in situ is always preferred. Conservation need not be a barrier to development as considerate and innovative design solutions can often reconcile the presence of archaeological heritage with development. When excavations are tied to a research framework or clear research questions, careful evaluations can help further our knowledge of past human and environmental conditions.

The extent to which remains can or should be conserved will depend upon a number of factors, including the significance of the archaeological site or the archaeological resource itself. The case for conservation will be assessed on the individual merits of each case, taking into account the significance of the resource and weighing this against the need for and community benefit of the proposed development. Where proposals would result in the harm to; or loss of archaeological resources or the site's setting, evidence will be required to demonstrate that there are overriding public benefits or needs to justify any adverse impact on the archaeological resource or its setting; or that there are no other mechanisms for supporting the retention of its heritage value. If conflict between a development proposal and archaeological resources or its setting cannot be avoided, the weight given to heritage values in decision-making should be proportionate to the impact of the proposed change on significance and value of the archaeological resource to be lost.

In circumstances where conservation of archaeological heritage can be demonstrated to be unfeasible or unviable preservation by record may be an alternative as part of a carefully specified archaeological excavation. This should, however, always be regarded as a second-best option.

Where planning permission is granted for development affecting archaeological heritage, planning conditions will be attached to enable a watching brief' during ground-breaking works; or an archaeological evaluation to review the likely impacts on remains. These options may lead to further archaeological investigation and/or recording in the course of the permitted operations.

The full cost of engaging appropriate professional archaeological expertise to undertake any evaluation, excavation, investigation and recording, where development proposals affect archaeological resources, will be borne by the applicant/developer. Similarly, the publication of findings and the treatment and deposition of finds will be matters to be funded by the developer. These will be the subject of planning conditions and/or planning obligation agreements.

Policy HE5 – Conservation of archaeological heritage

Development proposals should conserve archaeological heritage and its setting. It should be demonstrated how the design of the proposals positively responds to and enables the archaeological resource(s) to be preserved in situ.

Proposals which do not conserve archaeological heritage and its setting will not be supported unless, and with regard to its comparative significance, and the impact of the proposed development on that significance:

1. the changes are demonstrably necessary either to meet an overriding public policy objective or need; and
2. there is no reasonably practicable alternative means of delivering those proposals without harm to the heritage value of the archaeological resource, or its setting; and
3. that harm has been avoided, mitigated and reduced as far as reasonably practicable; or
4. it has been demonstrated that the predicted public benefit outweighs the harm to the archaeological heritage and its setting.

Where it is determined that the conservation of archaeological resources (preservation in situ) is not justified as the most appropriate course of action, then provision through the use of planning obligation agreements and/or planning conditions and funded by the applicant/ developer, must be made for:

1. the evaluation and recording of the archaeological resource(s);
2. the publication of that record, to an appropriate standard, in the Historic Environment Record; and
3. where appropriate, the treatment and deposition of finds.

Planning applications which have the potential to affect archaeological heritage and its setting, must be accompanied by an appropriately detailed archaeological assessment, proportionate to the significance of the archaeological resource(s) and the impact of the proposed works.

Planning applications which do not provide sufficient information to enable the significance of archaeological resource(s) and the likely impact of the proposed development to be determined, will not be supported.

Volume 3: Managing Development Economy

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Economy  

The Island Plan sets out policies that help create the conditions in which local and international businesses can invest, expand and adapt.

The need to support sustainable economic growth and productivity, particularly following Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic, is acknowledged and forms a cornerstone of the economic themed policies of the plan. Policies need to be flexible enough to accommodate needs not anticipated in the plan, allow for new and flexible working practices (such as live-work accommodation), and to enable a rapid response to any future changes in economic circumstances.

The island's main employment is found in the financial and legal services, government, retail, tourism, rural economy and light industry sectors of the economy. Support will be given to proposals that strengthen the sustainability, productivity and diversity offered by these sectors.

The plan also recognises the economic importance of centres such as Town and Les Quennevais, as well as the smaller centres that serve a local or parochial community. The following policies seek to support and enhance the vitality and viability of Town as a place to shop, work, do business and visit; to help regenerate Les Quennevais; and to support and respond to local retail needs in other local centres. In doing so, the plan does not support development proposals that would result in the loss of viable employment land unless there are overwhelming reasons to do so.

The Minister has made two clear exceptions in the use and application of this principle and has accordingly excluded visitor accommodation including hotels, guest houses, self-catering accommodation and camp sites; and office accommodation. In making these exceptions, the Minister has sought to ensure the continued investment in visitor accommodation, so that it can continue to adapt to the changing tourism market involving new investment in an improved tourism offer and in the provision of high quality bed stock; and that the re-purposing of older, outworn office accommodation can assist in the regeneration of St Helier and, in particular, the provision of new homes.

Retail and town centre uses in St Helier

The main retail and town centre location in Jersey is St Helier town centre which serves as the island's principal year-round shopping attraction and primary retail hub. During peak Christmas

and summer periods, residents and visitors make more than 200,000 visits per month to King Street alone. The town centre also accommodates a large number of non-retail town centre uses

including leisure and entertainment, arts and culture, civic, and daytime and evening economy[1].

This includes a diverse range of facilities and venues which are not found elsewhere in the island including the Jersey Opera House and the Jersey Art Centre, galleries, museums, a cinema, and a range of eating and drinking establishments.

Maintaining and enhancing the vitality of St Helier town centre will require support for the protection and provision of both retail and non-retail uses, which attract islanders and visitors to the town centre, and which generate activity throughout the day and into the evening. To achieve this, the Island Plan seeks to identify and define two distinct areas, the core retail area and St Helier town centre, to help both maintain and enhance retail activity; and to ensure and enable complementary land uses and activities.

The plan defines a core retail area in St Helier (outlined in figure E1 and shown on the proposals map) where the primary function is retail use. The core retail area embraces St Helier's primary retail frontages and is focused on the King Street/Queen Street pedestrianised axis of the town centre, from Charing Cross to Snow Hill; together with sections of New Street; Halkett Place and Bath Street. The Central Market is also embraced by the core retail area.

Figure E1: St Helier core retail area

The core retail area sits within a wider defined St Helier town centre, which is also outlined in figure E2 and defined on the proposals map. The town centre incorporates the majority of the wider town centre uses in St Helier, beyond the retail core.

Figure E2: St Helier town centre

The retail sector in the island, whilst having several strengths, faces a number of challenges. Work being undertaken to develop a new retail strategy for the island identifies that:

• on-island retail is increasingly being outcompeted by off-island and predominantly online retailers;

• the supply of retail space across the island is increasing but demand for retail units in St Helier town centre appears to be decreasing; and

• on-island retail and wholesale businesses are concerned that their operating environment is deteriorating.

The emergent strategy notes that while shop vacancy rates in St Helier town centre remained lower than the UK (around 2% at the end of 2019), several prominent units along King and Queen Streets have remained vacant for over 12 months.

In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has significantly affected the retail sector as a result of lockdown measures, including closure for some non-essential retail, and shops being required to adopt tighter restrictions to mitigate virus transmission. Covid-19 has been a catalyst for a shift to online shopping: while many consumers will return to the high street, for others the move to online shopping will be a permanent one. The reduction in footfall from office workers due to lockdown measures has also had an impact on the retail sector (and wider town centre ecosystem).

It is recognised that the future vitality of St. Helier town centre rests on retaining its primacy as the island's main centre for shopping, eating, drinking and leisure. The vitality of the town centre is a direct product of ensuring a concentration of diverse but complementary uses – not just different types of retail but also places where people choose to visit, eat, drink and socialise. This creates an environment where islanders and visitors will want to spend more time and where retail spend is correspondingly increased.

As a result, this Island Plan supports the provision of retail, in addition to a wider range of town centre uses – including leisure and entertainment, arts and culture, civic, and daytime and evening economy - across the defined area of the town centre. This serves to recognise and support the contribution of different aspects of the town – such as the restaurants of Kensington Place; the independent shops of Colomberie; and the night-life of The Weighbridge – to the attractiveness

and vitality of the town centre. Proposals for a change of use away from retailing or town centre uses within St Helier town centre will need to demonstrate that there is no market demand for the continued use of the premises for retail or town centre use (on terms that reflect the lawful use and condition of the premises) for a period of time appropriate to the market for the use of the

building; and justify how an alternative use is compatible with and can contribute to the vitality of the town centre.

There is, however, a balance to be struck: the presence of too many non-retail uses in St Helier's principal shopping streets can threaten and undermine the attractiveness of the core retail area as a shopping destination. For this reason, there is a need to protect and manage change that affects the primary retail function of the core retail area, including the Central Market.

Proposals for a change of use away from retailing in the core retail area will need to demonstrate that there is no market demand for the continued use of the premises for retail use (on terms that reflect the lawful use and condition of the premises) for a period of time appropriate to the market for the use of the building; and justify how an alternative town centre use is compatible with and can contribute to the vitality of the core retail area, having regard to issues such as the scale, location and prominence, level of activity and public accessibility that it may bring. There will also

be a need to demonstrate that the use does not significantly harm the mix of retail unit sizes and types that are required to attract and cater for a range of retail businesses in the core retail area.

Any new large retail development in St Helier – defined as anything of 200 sqm or more floorspace (gross internal floor area) – will be focused in and around the core retail area. Retail development over 200 sqm (gross internal floor area) may be acceptable outside the defined core retail area and within the wider St Helier town centre, but only where it can be demonstrated that it would not adversely affect the primary retail function of the core retail area. A retail impact assessment would need to be provided to consider the effect of any such proposal.

A shift to more experiential shopping is also expected over the plan period, with customers valuing stimulating and compelling environments and experiences that cannot be enjoyed online. This also includes high quality fresh food markets, such as the Central Market and the Beresford Street Fish Market, and stalls and event-based retail.

Enhancements to the quality of the town centre in St Helier have been made to improve visitor experience and encourage secondary uses including markets and street theatres, pushing up dwell time and local spend. Enhancements include provision for cycle parking and public transport, off- street parking for shoppers, extension of pedestrian priority areas as well as streetscape enhancement and traffic management measures. A further package of measures is being developed as part of the St Helier Public Realm and Movement Strategy[1] and will continue to be encouraged to enhance the attractiveness and quality of St Helier's public realm and to support a vibrant retail core.

The retail provision at Les Quennevais precinct and Red Houses serves as the island's secondary shopping centre. To help support and renew the retail offer and vitality of this area, the Island Plan seeks to manage and protect existing retailing and complementary town centre activity here. Proposals for a change of use away from retailing or town centre uses within the defined centre at Les Quennevais (see figure E3) will need to demonstrate that there is no market demand for the continued use of the premises for retail or town centre use (on terms that reflect the lawful use and condition of the premises) for a period of time appropriate to the market for the use of the

building; and justify how an alternative use is compatible with and can contribute to the vitality of the area.

The plan will also enable and encourage the development of new retail and complementary town centre activities, such as leisure and entertainment, arts and culture, and daytime and evening economy uses, within the defined centre of Les Quennevais, as shown on the proposals map.

Figure E3: defined centre at Les Quennevais

Shopfronts

The design and appearance of shopfronts make an important contribution to the quality and attractiveness of retail centres, particularly in the town's core retail area. It is important that the design of new shopfronts and shopfront alterations have regard to the character of the building, particularly where the buildings may be listed, and their townscape setting.

Particular regard should be paid to the location of signs and advertisements. Wherever possible, new or replacement advertisements should be incorporated into the existing shop front or building fabric and be sympathetic in terms of size, scale, form, materials and degree of illumination, where relevant, to the building, site and area. Where necessary, external illumination for facia and projecting signs is encouraged, with halo illumination as an alternative subtle approach. The provision of external security shutters will not be supported.

The Minister for the Environment will review and re-issue supplementary planning guidance to help guide and manage change to the island's shopfronts.

Proposal – Shopfronts supplementary planning guidance

The Minister for the Environment will review and issue new supplementary planning guidance for the design of shopfronts. This guidance will be used to guide and assess proposals for shopfront alterations.

Policy ER1 – Retail and town centre uses Core retail area

Proposals for new retail development, refurbishment or extension of existing retail premises will be supported in the St Helier core retail area.

Proposals for a change of use away from retail to other town centres uses within the core retail area will only be supported where:

1. it can be demonstrated that there is no market demand for the continued use of the premises for retail use;
2. it does not detract from the primary retail function of the core retail area by virtue of an unacceptable reduction of, or a break in, the retail frontage having regard to its scale, prominence and location;
3. it does not have an unacceptable impact on the overall provision of retail uses in the core retail area, having regard to whether need can be met even with the loss of retail floorspace;
4. it does not have an unacceptable impact on the mix of unit sizes and specifications across the core retail area;
5. it will make a positive contribution to the vitality and viability of the core retail area and the town centre as a whole; or
6. the overall benefit to the community of the proposal outweighs any adverse effects.

Proposals which seek to support the viability and vitality of the Central Market will be supported.

Proposal for changes of use away from retail to non-town centres uses within the core retail area will not be supported.

St Helier town centre and Les Quennevais

Proposals for new retail and town centre development, or the refurbishment or extension of existing retail and town centre uses will be supported in the St Helier town centre and the defined centre at Les Quennevais.

Proposals for the development of retail floorspace over 200 sqm may be supported within these areas where it can be demonstrated that they do not harm the primary retail function of the St Helier core retail area.

Proposal for a change of use away from retail and town centre uses to other uses within the St Helier town centre and the defined centre at Les Quennevais will only be supported where:

1. it can be demonstrated that there is no market demand for the continued use of the premises for retail or town centre use;
2. it does not detract from the retail and town centre function of the defined area;
3. it does not have an unacceptable impact on the overall provision of retail and town centre uses in the defined areas, having regard to whether need can be met even with the loss of retail or town centre floorspace; and
4. it will contribute to the diversity, vitality and viability of the defined area; or
5. the overall benefit to the community of the proposal outweighs any adverse effects.

Proposals which seek to support the viability and vitality of the Beresford Street Fish Market will be supported.

Large-scale retail  

Large-scale retail is defined as being any type of retail with a floorspace of 200sqm floor area (gross internal floor area) or above. It includes both food retail (such as supermarkets), as well as non-food retail involving any larger comparison good stores; or, in the case of very large-scale provision, retail warehouses[1] which are typically single-level units selling bulky goods associated with home improvement or gardening, furniture, flooring and electrical goods.

The purpose of the policy is to ensure that new, redeveloped or extended large-scale retail development supports the existing hierarchy of retail provision in Jersey, and that the needs of the island can be met. In particular, St Helier town centre and the defined centre at Les Quennevais provide a range of services and facilities as well as shops: this enables different needs to be met in a single trip and offers greater accessibility by different means of transport. Shopping activity often underpins the wider service role of existing centres and helps provide a focal point for the local community.

Further provision of large-scale retail provision outside St Helier town centre and the defined centre at Les Quennevais is not generally supported. This is because out-of-centre retail developments tend to be self-contained facilities that can draw shoppers away from the existing centres to the detriment of their vitality. Such developments are also generally more reliant on travel by private vehicle as they can be less accessible by public transport, pedestrians and cyclists.

Jersey has an established and well-distributed provision of food retail supermarkets throughout the island's built-up areas with five large-scale supermarkets (over 1,000sqm) which serve demand across the island; supplemented by a range of numerous smaller (200-500sqm) local convenience food retail supermarkets located in many of the island's local centres.

Having regard to the existing distribution of retail provision in the island, a sequential approach to the consideration of any new large-scale retail development will be applied, whereby it will be sequentially focused towards sites in the following order:

• St Helier core retail area;

• St Helier town centre or the defined centre at Les Quennevais;

• the built-up area of Town; and

• the built-up area of other local centres, (where the extent of provision is between 100- 500sqm gross internal floor area) and it can be demonstrated that it would meet a local need and not unduly harm existing retail provision in other centres.

Sites which do not accord with this sequential test may be considered where there is robust evidence that no other sites (that accord with the sequential test) are suitable or available (see below), and there is an overwhelming case for development in that location. Proposals for the provision of large-scale retail development will not, however, be supported outside the island's defined built-up area.

In demonstrating that the sequential test has been applied, applicants should provide evidence of the following:

• where the development would be located outside St Helier town centre or the defined centre at Les Quennevais, that preference has been given to accessible sites that are well

connected and easily accessible to/from the St Helier town centre or the defined centre at Les Quennevais, or another local centre;

• that the format and/or scale of the proposal has been considered in relation to suitable and available sites higher in the sequential test;

• that they have considered the suitability and availability of sites within the built-up area through a site selection exercise; and

• any other relevant information.

Retail should be well served by a choice of means of transport. Proposed large-scale retail developments need to conform to the principles of sustainability; this includes ensuring that they do not lead to significant transport and accessibility problems.

Modern expectations of shoppers will mean that retail operators may want to invest to improve the quality of their existing stores. The extension, refurbishment or redevelopment of existing large- scale retail stores will be supported particularly where existing large retail stores are both adjacent to the primary road network and accessible by sustainable and/or active forms of transport.

Applications for large-scale retail should include proportionate evidence of retail impact. This might include (but is not limited to):

• that there is an overall quantitative and qualitative requirement for additional retail in the island; and

• that provision will not have a unacceptable negative impact on the vitality and viability of existing retail provision in the island including retail provision within the St Helier core retail area; St Helier town centre or the defined centre at Les Quennevais; and other local centres (which might be impacted by change in footfall patterns and market share).

Proposals for a change of use away from large-scale retailing will need to demonstrate that there is no market demand for the continued use of the premises for retail use (on terms that reflect the lawful use and condition of the premises) for a period of time appropriate to the market for the use of the building; and demonstrate that it does not have an unacceptable impact on the overall provision of retail in the locality and the island, including whether need can be met even with the loss of retail floorspace. There will also be a need to demonstrate that the proposed use does not significantly harm the mix of retail unit sizes and types that are required to attract and cater for a range of retail businesses in the island.

Policy ER2 – Large-scale retail  

Proposals for the provision of new large-scale retail floorspace (200sqm gross internal floor area and above) or the redevelopment, refurbishment or extension of existing retail (leading to 200sqm gross internal area and above) will be supported in the built-up area where the development:

1. accords with the sequential approach to development;
2. itself, or cumulatively with other existing or consented retail developments, will not cause detriment to the vitality or viability of the St Helier core retail area; St Helier town centre; the defined centre at Les Quennevais centre; or a local centre, which must be demonstrated through submission of proportionate evidence of the anticipated retail impact;
3. represents an effective use of land and does not materially prejudice the adequate provision of other land uses, particularly the supply of land for other employment uses, homes, community uses and open space;
4. will not unreasonably affect the character and amenity of the local area;
5. is accessible by a choice of means of transport, including by public and active travel (including walking and cycling), and for those with mobility impairments, and does not have an unacceptable impact on the transport network; and
6. provides adequate space and facilities for servicing and deliveries.

Proposals for the provision of new large-scale retail which do not accord with the sequential approach to development may be supported in the built-up area where it can be demonstrated that:

1. a need exists for the location, scale and type of development; and
2. that there are no other sites higher up the sequential approach that are suitable or available.

Proposals for the provision of new large-scale retail outside of the built-up area will not be supported.

Proposals for a change of use away from large-scale retailing will need to demonstrate that:

1. there is no market demand for the continued use of the premises for retail use;
2. it does not have an unacceptable impact on the overall provision of retail in the island, including whether need can be met even with the loss of retail or town centre floorspace;
3. that the use does not significantly harm the mix of retail unit sizes and types that are required to attract and cater for a range of retail businesses in the island; or
4. the overall benefit to the community of the proposal demonstrably outweighs the adverse effects of loss of retail space.

Local retail

Whilst it is important to support the retail vitality of the St Helier town centre and the defined centre at Les Quennevais by managing and limiting the provision of competing retail uses elsewhere, it is also important that local needs for everyday (convenience) retail, in other parts of the island's built-up area, are met.

Small-scale retail is defined as being retail with a gross internal floor area of 100sqm or less. This includes proposals for new retail facilities (including change of use), and redevelopment, refurbishment and extension of existing facilities up to a total of 100sqm.

This policy only supports convenience retail designed to meet every day needs (such as small food shops, newsagents or premises providing services to the local community, including hair and

beauty salons, post offices, estate agencies and pharmacies) where existing provision is inadequate; or niche retail where there is a specific reason for the location of small-scale retail provision being located outside of St Helier town centre or the defined centre at Les Quennevais (for example, a gift shop related to a particular area, attraction or industry), subject to the proposal not having unacceptable impacts on the surrounding area.

Retail uses outside the built-up area will only be considered where they are ancillary to other existing uses, for example retail related to a cultural or heritage site, or a farm shop. The retail must be strictly related and limited in scale, and for this reason, the 100sqm of retail floorspace limit also applies but, in many cases, will be expected to be much lower than this. Where possible, many such uses should be located within existing structures; or in the case of the redevelopment of existing buildings, deliver an environmental improvement in terms of design or environmental impact relative to the local character of the area.

Proposals for change of use away from retail which would lead to the loss of an essential local shop, such as general convenience stores, will only be supported if local demand for this type of retail can continue to be appropriately and locally met elsewhere even with the loss of the floorspace. This applies across the island's built-up areas. It will also need to be demonstrated that there is no market demand for the continued use of the premises for retail use (on terms that reflect the lawful use and condition of the premises) for a period of time appropriate to the market for the use of the building.

Policy ER3 – Local retail