Island Plan 2022-25: Approval (P.36/2021) – twelfth amendment Removal of Field H1219 St. Helier

STATES OF JERSEY

ISLAND PLAN 2022-25: APPROVAL (P.36/2021) – TWELFTH AMENDMENT REMOVAL OF FIELD H1219 ST HELIER

Lodged au Greffe on 9th July 2021 by the Connétable of St. Helier

STATES GREFFE

2021  P.36 Amd.(12)

ISLAND PLAN 2022-25: APPROVAL (P.36/2021) – TWELFTH

AMENDMENT ____________

1  PAGE 2 –

After the words "the draft Island Plan 2022-25" insert the words "except that –

1. the following should be removed from the list of sites to be zoned for affordable homes in Policy H5 – Provision of affordable homes –

5. Field H1219  St. Helier  (1.20 hectares/6.6 vergées);

2. the  draft  Island  Plan  2022-25  should be  further  amended  in  such respects  as  may  be  necessary  consequent  upon  the  adoption  of paragraph (a);
3. the draft Bridging Island Plan Proposals Map Part A – Planning Zones should be amended to reflect the adoption of paragraph (a).".

CONNÉTABLE OF ST. HELIER

Note:  After this amendment, the proposition would read as follows –

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

to approve, in accordance with Article 3(1) of the Planning and Building (Jersey)  Law  2002,  as  amended  by  the  Covid-19  (Island  Plan)  (Jersey) Regulations 2021, the draft Island Plan 2022-25, except that –

1. the following should be removed from the list of sites to be zoned foraffordable homes at Policy H5 – Provision of affordable homes:

5. Field H1219 St. Helier (1.20 hectares/6.6 vergées).

2. the  draft  Island  Plan  2022-25  should be  further  amended  in  such respects  as  may  be  necessary  consequent  upon  the  adoption  ofparagraph (a);
3. the Draft Bridging Island Plan Proposals Map Part A – Planning Zonesshould be amended to reflect the adoption of paragraph (a).

REPORT

Following the publication of the Bridging Island Plan last month, St. Helier's Roads Committee conducted a site visit of the four fields which have been earmarked for development in the Plan.

During its site visit, the Roads Committee members were struck by the character and quality of the four fields which are doomed to become housing estates if the Plan is not amended to remove them. These are in active use by agriculturalists, including the only organic herd of Jersey cows and for horse grazing, as well as for growing crops. Three of the fields are adjacent to each other (H1186a, H1189, H1198, La Grande Route de St. Jean); they are bounded by a green lane and this land is situated on the left-hand side of La Grande Route de St. Jean, just before St. Helier 's Municipal Depot on the right. As well as providing valuable land for growing, which will be particularly important in the future as the Island seeks to reduce its carbon footprint by growing more food locally, these open fields provide a vital visual amenity, a gap in the line of buildings that otherwise is a feature of much of this road to the north of the Island. The Roads Committee was unanimous in its view that these fields should be spared development and that the Island must not go down the road' of our sister island in allowing ribbon development such as this.

Three of the four fields, which are adjacent to each other, are the subject of an amendment by Deputy Le Hegarat of St. Helier; the purpose of this amendment is to seek to safeguard the fourth field, H1219, which is right next to Haute Vallée School. While the western half of the field remains reserved for meeting the School's needs in future (playing fields) as agreed in the last Island Plan, 2011 (revised 2014), the eastern half is now being offered up for development, even though it is described in Appendix 1 of P.36/2022 as "good quality farmland which is a good shape and size with a long history of agricultural use The development of the eastern half of the field for housing would be considered a loss to the farming industry."

The Committee was very concerned that the development of the eastern half of H1219 would bring housing development in this part of town right up to the School perimeter, depriving the school of all the benefits associated with natural green space; in the Committee's view, if this field were to come out of agricultural use it would be far better to allocate it for community amenity space and woodland which can be enjoyed by school students as well as the community at large. Indeed, while the Committee was on site, it was passed by several people out for a walk enjoying the opportunity provided by these open spaces to get exercise and keep healthy.

Also,  the  Roads  Committee  is  concerned  about  the  adverse  effect  any  housing development on this field would have on the various safety measures which have been recently put into effect to protect pedestrians and, in particular, school children, in the area immediately adjoining the field and in Clarke Avenue. If any housing scheme were to proceed strong consideration would have to be given to the establishment of traffic lights at the exit of Clarke Avenue onto the main road to deal with the increased volume of traffic exiting there, especially when children are being dropped off or collected from school, otherwise there would likely be considerable tailbacks up La Grande Route de Mont à l'Abbé back as far as Westhill. It must be remembered that the volume of traffic on the latter section will also increase if the Westhill Hotel is converted into flats/ apartments as is proposed, while the proposed new hospital at Overdale will make all kinds of demands on the local traffic network.

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P.36/2021 Amd.(12)

The Committee accepts that more housing is required in the Island, but believes that St. Helier is already fulfilling more than its fair share of meeting the Island's housing needs, with hundreds of new units being created by Andium Homes within the next few years, hundreds  more  being  proposed  by  the  Jersey  Development  Company  and  other developers, and with all the private redevelopments of outworn offices which are taking place throughout the town. As St. Helier becomes more densely developed for housing, it is of vital importance that we safeguard agricultural fields and the green lungs around the town and protect natural biodiversity for the well-being of residents and visitors. Rather than concreting over the Parish's precious green fields, the Committee believes that the planners should focus their attention on brownfield sites that still exist within the St. Helier Ring Road and on other sites in public ownership such as around St. Helier harbour and Fort Regent.

I fully endorse the views of the St. Helier Roads Committee and urge the States Assembly to save Field H1219 from development.

Financial and manpower implications

There are no financial or manpower implications in relation to the removal of the sites as identified.

Child Rights Impact Assessment implications

This amendment has been assessed in relation to the Bridging Island Plan CRIA. Whilst this amendment will remove some sites from those allocated for affordable housing, it will maintain land that is being legitimately used for farming purposes, providing green infrastructure, supporting the dairy culture of the Island and providing healthy food products from well-maintained animals. All these have importance to children growing up in the Island.

It should also be noted, as within the report above, that introduction of affordable housing without the necessary infrastructure to provide safe travel for children could result in further complications for access and traffic.