Les Mielles, St. Ouens Bay: Revision of Boundary

LES MIELLES, ST. OUEN'S BAY: REVISION OF BOUNDARY _______________

Lodged au Greffe on 7th December 1999 by the Planning and Environment Committee

______________________________

STATES OF JERSEY

STATES GREFFE

175             1 9 9 9   P . 2 0 0          

Price code: B

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion -

  to r e f er to their Act dated 18th April 1978 in which they approved the designation of the St. Ouen's Bay area as a

"special place" to be known as Les Mielles, and to approve the revised boundary of the Les Mielles area as shown on Map 636/1.

PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE

REPORT

Introduction

In April 1978 the States approved a proposition on the Future Development of St. Ouen's Bay (P.24/78).

The States were asked to approve various proposals, which included giving St. Ouen's Bay the status of a "special place". Also approved were proposals to implement a programme of improvements to the Bay, and to approve land use and zoning maps, including the boundary of Les Mielles.

Since 1978 the Les Mielles Sub-Committee, which was set up under the proposition as a sub-committee of the Planning and Environment Committee, has overseen the programme of works recommended by the report, most of which have been completed successfully.

Towards the end of 1998 the Planning and Environment Committee employed consultants Environmental Resource Management Ltd. to review the original St. Ouen's Bay Plan. The opportunity has been taken to clarify the Les Mielles boundary.

The report was completed earlier this year. The Planning and Environment Committee published the draft plan for final public consultation in late summer. The plan has been adopted as an interim policy document prior to its incorporation into the revised Island Plan.

Purpose and scope of the study

The following are the terms of reference for the study -

• to re v ie w development in the area since 1978 in the context of P.24/78;

• to a ss e ss the results of planning decisions since 1978;

• to a ss e ss the effects of the designation of the area as a "special place";

• to p r o vide, where necessary, a more detailed assessment of St. Ouen's Bay, to complete an up-to-date constraints map showing areas of ecological importance;

• to c o n sider and incorporate as required the recommendations of the Countryside Character Assessment, undertaken as part of the Island Plan Review;

• to d e v elop a set of guidelines for development at the required level of detail. Findings of the report

Performance since 1978

Achievements

• R e s to r ation of La Mielle de Morville as a mature dune grassland.

• D e s ig n ation of sensitive natural habitats as SSIs.

• E ff e c tiv e management of sensitive natural habitats, i.e. Les Blanches Banques.

• E d u c a tional and interpretative initiatives, including Kempt Tower, Frances Le Sueur Centre and the appointment of an educational officer.

• R e s to r ation of a number of historic and landmark buildings.

• E s ta b lis hment of Les Mielles Sub-Committee.

Failures

• E x te n s ion of sand extraction activities.

• In a p p r opriate development of Les Mielles Golf and Country Club.

• N e g a ti ve impact of incremental residential development.

• D e g r ad ation of the overall landscape quality.

• L o s s a nd degradation of natural habitats, particularly on the coastal strip.

• D e te r io ration in the physical appearance of commercial buildings on the coastal strip.

• L a c k o f continuous public participation.

• A la c k of robust, clear and defensible development control policies and standards. Summary

1. The Report

Planning policies

The Planning Framework will provide a balance of guidance, incentive and control. It will deal with the perceived failures of the previous policy by -

• p ro v id  ing robust guidance on how to deal with cumulative impacts of small scale developments, in particular visual impact;

• so lv  in g the problem of retrospective applications;

• b rin  g in g consistency in the application of design standards and guidance;

• p ro v id  ing generic supplementary design guidance in St. Ouen's Bay where appropriate;

• p re v e n ting loss and degradation of natural habitats within the area.

The integrated management plan

Implementation of the integrated management plan will be overseen by the Les Mielles Sub-Committee and approved by the Planning and Environment Committee.

It should provide a practical management tool to meet the policy objectives of the Planning Framework and build on existing land management initiatives.

The success of the plan requires full involvement of a wide range of stakeholders. The formation of partnerships with the Agriculture and Fisheries department, Tourism, Harbours and Airports and Public Services department . The Parishes will also have an important rôle to play. Involvement of the community will be fostered by a programme of workshops and the continuation of education and awareness raising.

Conclusion

The previous boundary of the Les Mielles was a notional boundary. The revised boundary shown on Map 636/1 (see Appendix) will clarify the boundary of the area since it is tied to physical features such as roads and field boundaries. This will remove any doubt about the actual boundary when applying planning policies. It will also serve to clarify who may vote in the election for the local residents' representative on the Les Mielles Sub-Committee.

APPENDIX