Deputy Lee van Katwyk says he has “serious concerns” about the risk of contamination when land is reclaimed at Black Rock – but the Guernsey Development Agency has sought to “dispel inaccuracies” around the planned work.

In an open letter, published by Express HERE, the Chair of the GDA has explained that hazardous waste won’t be used in the project.

Inert waste currently being stockpiled at Longue Hougue is going to be used to reclaim land north of the Bridge – known as Black Rock. The new land will see a revetment built and then soil and other materials dumped there to create space for building on.

Peter Watson said this project will provide “much-needed land for housing and community and green spaces”. It would also remove the need for stockpiling inert waste at Longue Hougue and “would also significantly reduce the cost of flood defences” around the Bridge, he said.

Deputy van Katwyk has raised concerns over both the project itself and the use of the inert waste currently stockpiled at Longue Hougue.

But the GDA has insisted there is no risk of that material being toxic to our wider environment.

“…the public can be assured that hazardous waste is not even stored at Longue Hougue, therefore it will certainly not be used in the Black Rock land reclamation site,” wrote Mr Watson. “We must also stress that only materials being stockpiled at Longue Hougue will be transferred to Black Rock. There is no intention to excavate material previously deposited at the site.”

Deputy van Katwyk has told Express this week that his concerns remain – and he is resolute in his stance after reading the open letter penned by Mr Watson.

“During the May 2025 inert waste policy, deputies were told that the inert waste, which is currently earmarked for use to reclaim land from the sea, is too contaminated to be tanked in concrete and anywhere near our drinking water. It is also important to note that Guernsey has no register of contaminated land areas. Therefore, unless Guernsey Waste plans on taking ten samples from every ton of soil, I have serious concerns about the levels of contamination (from heavy metals to asbestos) that will be leeching into the ocean around the corner from a popular swimming spot.

“As for the EIA, I still have concerns–concerns raised by local experts–that remote monitoring does not capture the whole picture of tidal flows beneath the surface – something which anyone who cares can challenge via Artificial Intelligence.

“Instead of wooing deputies, the GDA should be spending considerable time consulting with the public for whom all deputies work. This was one of my chief recommendations to the GDA which seems to have been whole heartedly ignored.

“I am a people’s deputy and I will not be bullied out of any role by anybody.”

Mr Watson’s open letter on behalf of the GDA can be read HERE.