‘False claims being made in some planning applications’
SOME planning applications to build on green land include false claims that consultation has taken place with La Societe Guernesiaise, according to its president.
Trevor Bourgaize said the problem was just one example of how the island’s planning regime fails to protect biodiversity.
He is concerned that the number of applications to remove green space to make way for building projects remains high, despite politicians frequently insisting they are trying to protect green land.
And he believes the requirements and accuracy of some biodiversity reports attached to planning applications make them a waste of time.
‘Often the reports don’t have much detailed information about the impact a new project could have on the surrounding green landscape,’ said Mr Bourgaize.
‘People often use exactly the same information for different sites, which I suspect is a copy and paste job on their part.’
Mr Bourgaize revealed he had read planning applications in which applicants claim to have spoken to La Societe as part of their biodiversity report when in fact they had failed to consult in any way.
‘Consequently, there have been issues with things like planting schemes where the plants that have been laid down are non-native species,’ he said.
‘Each site is different in terms of soil and wildlife. The information for each site needs to be accurate, otherwise you run into problems.’
Development & Planning Authority president Victoria Oliver rejected claims that it rarely prioritises biodiversity.
‘In 2021, we were concerned we were receiving a lot of applications for change of use of land to gardens without there being any real benefit to the island’s biodiversity.
‘In response, we made it a requirement for all those applying for a change of use of land to an alternative use to provide information demonstrating environmental benefits in respect of biodiversity,’ said Deputy Oliver.
She added that areas of biodiversity importance and sites of special significance were already well protected from development under the Island Development Plan.
Mr Bourgaize said Guernsey had lost 98% of species-rich grassland.
‘If it wasn’t for La Societe and the National Trust buying up land, I don’t know where we’d be. La Societe started calling for more legislation 50 years ago,’ he said.
‘We need some sort of habitat and species protection. We are so far behind some other jurisdictions. Jersey, for example, has four government ecologists. We don’t have one.
‘There need to be conditions within planning applications that encourage biodiversity.’
Deputy Oliver said the States had only recently amended planning law to make it easier to create naturally turfed or seeded earth banks.
‘In addition, the removal of an earth bank is no longer exempt from planning permission, meaning the impact of this can be properly considered through the planning application process,’ she said.
