Our environment is under attack
Saturday 15th November 2008, 9:59AM GMT.
JERSEY’S countryside is under attack as building developments erode the Island’s natural environment, says the Action for Wildlife chairman.
Pete Double said that building along Les Mielles coast; plans to extend landfill east of St Helier, scrapping the Island Plan 2002 and re-writing it and the Plémont affair are all attacks on Jersey’s special environment to combat the Island’s current ‘population explosion’.
In a letter to the JEP he said: ‘It seems to me that Jersey’s natural environment is under siege at the moment, even more so than it is normally.’ Mr Double says that the government now seems to think it is perfectly acceptable to invade the green zone and their excuse is to blame Jersey’s ageing population.
He maintains that politicians must protect Jersey’s mix of country lanes, agricultural landscapes, a priceless intertidal zone, woodland valleys, fauna and flora.
• Picture: Peter Double (00011717)
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Jersey’s natural environment is under the greatest threat it has had to endure since the 1970s and the reason now is the same as then – the finance industry. We are under pressure to sacrifice our greatest asset, namely the rich, rare, diverse and potentially hugely productive natural resources that have been the basis of our culture and our extremely successful economy for centuries. And for what? thousands more three bedroom Wimpey homes to house a transient, temporary workforce. Up to 9,500 new homes last I heard. And this is nothing to do with ageing populations; that’s a rather nasty little guilt trip of an excuse – shame on who ever thought that up. This is all about greed. Please take these warnings seriously – if this damage is allowed to happen then it will destroy everything that is good about Jersey, as well as our long term capacity to grow food to feed ourselves. This last point is likely to become a critical issue over the next 20 years so please help stop this vandalism.
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It is totally unacceptable to continue to build in the countryside in this small island.
Jersey must accept the fact that it needs to make better use of land in the town area and build quality taller buildings. Done right, these need not look bad. A case in point are the proposals for the burnt out church, near Peter Street which looks really good.
Why are buildings proposed for the waterfront area so short in height, its not best use of the land.
Some people moan about height, but there again they moan about building in the countryside. It can’t go on.
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I agree with Shane – there is very little space in Jersey on the horizontal but hundreds of square miles of empty space vertically. If you want to build a vibrant, exciting, diverse, culturally rich and active vertical city out of St. Helier then I think most people would support it. Add ten more storeys to town and how many people could you house? I use to live in a fantastic town flat in Edinburgh and it was one of the finest places I have ever lived, both the flat and the town. More people living in town means richer cultural life, greater safety, less commuting, a vibrant economy and a pristine countryside to escape into when needed. Ticks all my boxes. Just have to deal with the neophobes…
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Preserving the natural beauty of Jersey should be a priority, as we are blessed to have a beautiful natural environment, but it is fragile and must be respected. Next Thursday, the Planning Committee are sitting at 9.30 at the Societe to discuss whether to permit airsofting on field 1443, La Route des Cotes du Nord, Trinity. This is a combat sport, using replica firearms, homemade grenades and non-biodegradable plastic pellet bullets. It is illegal in many countries and will disturb wildlife hugely. The field is part of the beautiful, unspoilt Rozel valley, but could instead become a war zone for enthusiasts. And yet the officers recommendation is that the application be approved.
This is a chance to make your view count before yet another part of the Island is ruined for a generation. Lets back up Pete Double BEFORE the damage is done.
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Restoration projects should be up and running alongside newly intended projects. We need to protect what is there already and only rebuld when absolutely necessary. To throw caution to the wind and keep building does not make sense to me never mind the environment!
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