Nine-metre high inert waste pyramid planned for east coast
A nine-metre high pyramid of inert waste could be created on the east coast as the States grapples with what to do next with the island's building waste.
A planning application has been submitted for Longue Hougue, an area reclaimed from the sea.
The site has received all the island’s residual inert waste since 1995, but is expected to be filled by the end of May.
Guernsey Waste senior technical adviser Rob Roussel said action was needed now to at least put a temporary solution in place.
The application proposes creating a temporary stack at the northern end of the site, which could grow up to nine metres high, made up of three tiers.
This could hold up to 130,000 cubic metres of material.
There would also be an extension of the 3m-high bund around the seaward perimeter of Longue Hougue.
‘This site already has a waste management licence for the disposal of inert waste and all the necessary infrastructure is already in place,’ Mr Roussel said.
‘Diversion to strategically important development sites will be encouraged during the stockpiling period to minimise the amount of future double handling of stockpiled material.’
He stated that an environmental impact assessment would not be needed, as it was only proposed the site is used on a temporary and reversible basis. However, it has not been stated how long the site could be used for.
It has been previously noted that it could cost millions of pounds to move the temporary stock pile.
Inert waste has been on the States agenda for more than a decade, as space ran out in the reclamation site.
But the next step has proved controversial, with concerns about rare scaly crickets creating issues with putting inert waste at the southern end of the site, known as Spur Point.
While this was still the preferred option, development of the reclamation project was paused to allow a strategic review of the future use of Les Vardes Quarry.
The granite quarry operated by Ronez off the west coast is earmarked for water storage when quarrying ends. But a full review is also now examining the option of using it for inert waste.
‘A recommendation to the States, based on the outcome of this review is expected soon,’ said Mr Roussel.
‘However, there is now insufficient time to prepare the next inert waste disposal facility site ahead of the current site being filled. As a result, the temporary stockpiling of inert waste will be necessary, with the preferred site for this being the existing land reclamation site at Longue Hougue.’
While States’ Trading Supervisory Board have been working on the application since last October, it has only just been filed this week.
The plans can be viewed here.
