Some concerns addressed at Chouet headland drop-in

Ranging from concerns about coastal pathway access to the disadvantages of importing 100% of Guernsey’s aggregate for construction and roadworks, Ronez director and general manager Steve Roussel addressed the concerns of people.

A group of more than 15 people gathered around Mr Roussel after 3pm as he addressed the crowd’s concerns.

Local resident Nick Trott was fine with the quarry plan, and said all of his concerns had been addressed during the drop-in.

Peter Wilson, a retired stone dealer, and Dave Hill, a retired school teacher, both agreed it was far better to keep the stone and quarry business on-island to boost the local economy rather than import aggregate.

However, many of the people who attended the event were opposed to the project.

Chris Hawdon, a retired businessman, said he was very disappointed with the decision to quarry at Chouet.

‘I think it’s completely in the wrong lane,’ he said.

‘It’s the only large green space left on the island, and it’s used by thousands of people for recreation.

‘It’s ridiculous for them to use the land for a quarry.’

There was a steady flow of people popping in during the day.

At the end of September, the States of Guernsey voted 27-9 to start quarrying on Chouet headland. The island’s current quarry at Les Vardes could have as little as 15 months’ operating life left, and figures estimate that importing aggregate from overseas would cost at least 25% more than quarrying the Chouet headland, which is the island’s last resource for stone. Following the States' decision to quarry stone on home turf, Ronez is waiting for the States to publish a develop framework specifying the issues and areas the company will need to address in a planning application.

After the framework is published, Ronez will complete an environmental impact assessment before creating and submitting a planning application.