Year 4 pupils fear too many houses will destroy nature
ENVIRONMENTAL issues ranging from concerns about traffic, pollution and the loss of bees have been raised against the idea of building new homes in St Sampson’s.
These have not come from residents, a pressure group or politicians, but from Year 4 children at St Mary & St Michael Primary School in the parish.
As part of their literacy curriculum, the pupils have been looking at how to write persuasive letters about key issues, and year teacher Rebecca Hockey said that this has been tied in with a topic on rainforests and climate change.
With two key housing areas targeted in the parish, Miss Hockey thought it would be a good idea for the children to visit the sites and form their own opinions before putting them into letter form.
Parish deputy Jane Stephens, who as a politician is used to receiving similar emails and letters from people, was invited to visit the class to advise them on how best to go about preparing their letter.
‘I don’t know whether we have a class of politicians or reporters,’ said Deputy Stephens after talking to the youngsters.
‘They’ve been trying to persuade each other for and against building more residential accommodation.’
Policy & Resources Committee member Deputy Stephens, who was once a teacher at the school, said that while she had not told the children her own views to avoid influencing them, she had always been clear that there would be some development in the parish. It was the density of this that was the main concern.
For Aishling Ballard, 9, the concern was about trees. ‘I think it’s a bad idea to build these houses because some trees would be cut down and there will be less oxygen. They provide oxygen,’ she said.
Another opponent of the development was Finn Fleming, also 9: ‘I don’t like the idea because they’re going to be building lots of houses and people will not be able to do things they used to do because it’s way too busy.’
‘I think it’s bad because flowers could be flattened and bees need flowers to pollinate,’ said Thomas Guilbert, 9. ‘Maybe the bees would die if they don’t have flowers and bees are already becoming extinct.’
One pupil who was undecided was Lily Carre, 9: ‘I’m not really sure,’ she said. ‘It’s a good idea because we will have more friends. But I disagree with it because there’s going to be more traffic.’
. A revised development framework covering the Pointues Rocques site states that between 75 and 125 dwellings could be built, down 25 on what was originally indicated after public concerns. A draft development framework for a site in the Saltpans is proposing 150 new homes.
