More than 40 objections to Grouville quarry plans over lane concerns

Tuesday 03 August 2021

More than 40 islanders - including a Constable and Deputy - are pushing back on plans to redevelop a decommissioned quarry at Grouville into industrial units.

The proposals would see four new industrial units built on the quarry site by La Rue des Alleurs, which is currently used for storage and as a plant hire depot, leading to concerns from parishioners about the impact on the country lane.

Put forward by a company called 'Fernie The Quarry Limited', the planning application proposes pinning and netting the quarry walls, which has already been done, remodelling the roadside embankment by reducing its height to 4m, and moving the access point.

The proposed units themselves take up approximately 125 sq m of floorspace each, and are designed for "light manufacturing" such as joinery companies, glaziers and stonemasons.

The application sits within a Green Zone, though a Planning Statement put together by MS Planning claims that it would be appropriate for the area.

Pictured: Islanders and residents of the area fear the impact the proposed development will have on La Rue des Alleurs. (Wendy Durell)

"The overall use of the land will be more appropriate to the countryside context, as with the package of environmental enhancements, the proposals are considered to comply with the Green Zone policy objectives," it reads.

Rock face stabilisation work has already taken place ahead of planning approval, which is being applied for retrospectively.

Nine sycamore trees and three English Oak trees, which previously topped the road-side bank, were already removed in December 2020, due what the Ecological Assessment described as the "instability of the bank and pending winter months."

The statement says these trees will be replaced along the southeast side of La Rue des Alleurs, with 2m tall potted trees planed at three to four-metre intervals along the re-profiled bank, according to their Species Protection and Enhancement Plan. The plan also says they will build three bat boxes to be hung in the trees.

The application is currently speculative, meaning that no occupiers of the four units have been allocated or confirmed yet.

Pictured: The Quarry site is currently used by Ready Plant for storage purposes and as a plant hire depot.

The Planning Statement says overall that the "buildings have been designed to fit within the profile of the quarry bowl and there are no implications for the amenity of neighbours", adding: "...Indeed, enhancements will occur, in accordance with the Countryside Character Appraisal, with every opportunity taken for environmental gains.

"It is a material consideration that there is a pressing need for industrial accommodation."

Of the 43 comments responding to the planning application, 42 are objections or concerns around the proposed development, disputing claims made in the application.

Many respondents aired their fears and "dismay" that the creation of the industrial units could increase traffic, damage wildlife, cause noise and light pollution, and affect the overall character of the surrounding area, particularly the La Rue des Alleurs country lane.

One commenter stated that "the proposed industrial site development is totally out of place along a narrow and steep-in-parts road, which is a designated cycle route and is on the edge of the residential and non-industrial area that is the heart of Grouville Parish."

They added that they "found no mention of the anticipated frequent traffic which will be moving daily to and from the site for deliveries and staff to service the 4 sheds/8 units", and described the lack of light pollution analysis in the planning application as a "glaring omission".

Pictured: One of the key complaints in the comments was the potential for increased traffic along La Rue des Alleurs. (Image: Wendy Durell)

Another respondent said the traffic intersection at the La Rue A Don was an accident "waiting to happen", and that "resultant traffic coming from La Rue des Alleurs only adds to the public danger."

One individual stated that "widening of access and introduction of modern gates and paving to the disused quarry will permanently damage the character of the area.”

Another asked: "Could the quarry have not been either filled with waste or soil and made a natural place of beauty? I think Grouville is dragging its feet with environmental issues and this seems to be another example.” 

There were also questions about claims that neighbours were far away from the development, with one saying: "The application notes that neighbours are 'generally remote': many neighbours, are in fact only a field away or are located at the foot of the lane."

The single commenter writing in support of the proposals said they thought the claims of potential noise and traffic resulting from the development lacked "any detail, evidence or calculation."

"Traffic levels in Jersey have increased significantly over the past 20 years, so a pro-rated increase in this section of Rue des Alleurs is not an unreasonable expectation," they said.

They added: "The proposal is well presented and argued. It is a private investment that will generate welcome rates income for the Parish and utilise a site ostensibly unsuited and otherwise difficult to place."

However, Parish officials have sided with the other 40 commenters, with both Deputy Carolyn Labey and Constable John Le Maistre writing letters expressing their objections.

Pictured: Constable John Le Maistre said there would be considerably more traffic on what is a "quiet lane used by cyclists and walkers."

Deputy Labey objected to "over-industrialisation" and said the application "stretches the works and use to another level", which would "seriously and adversely affect the character of the area and increase traffic."

She added that "the Ecology Report makes no mention of Barn Owls previously been in this area but which have not been seen since the felling of many trees around the quarry shortly before the application was submitted."

Elaborating on his concerns, Constable John Le Maistre told Express: "The residents in the area and people who use it are worried about the impact of the proposed development.

"There will be more units of commercial activity there and, in my opinion, it will increase the amount of traffic in what is a quiet lane, and what is part of the holidaymaker and local cycle routes."

The Government's Infrastructure, Housing and Environment (IHE) Department is also against the development over concerns about the impact on drainage and traffic.

Although the application says foul water will be disposed of via sewer, records indicate only a septic tank soakaway system on the site, IHE explained.

From a transport perspective, IHE said they would support the proposals if works were made to reduce risk to road safety through street lighting and other such measures.

The application will be considered by the Planning Committee at a later date.