National Trust reaches £50k target to buy field for 'green lung'

Tuesday 02 March 2021

A field in St. Clement has been saved from development and will now form part of a 'green lung' in the parish after the National Trust raised £50,000 to buy it in just 37 days.

‘Field 80’ on the corner of Samarès Lane and Rue de Maupertuis is connected to other fields belonging to Maupertuis Farm, which has been bequeathed to the Trust.

Trust CEO Charles Alluto said: “Many of the stories behind individual donations were from residents who have witnessed large scale development in this part of the Island over the years and were keen to protect what open space still remains for future generations.  

“Donations have ranged in size from £10 to £10,000 in one instance. 84 donations were received from residents in Jersey and three from the UK and further afield.

Pictured: Field 80, marked in red, connects to other fields owned by the National Trust.

“During the campaign, several landowners discussed the possibility of putting restrictive covenants on their land to save from any future development and it is hoped that other Islanders might consider this option as a way of preserving the remaining rural character of St. Clement.

"Maupertuis Farm is the subject of a life interest and this extra field will allow it to remain viable as a smallholding with space for grazing livestock."

The National Trust for Jersey looks after 30 historic buildings, 1,754 vergées of land covering 174 sites, and over 19,000 metres of public footpath.