Les Vardes quarry’s future to be decided later this year
A DECISION on the future use of Les Vardes quarry has been delayed until later this year, as an inert waste mountain and disposal costs are set to pile up at Longue Hougue.
Recommendations were expected before Easter to allow politicians to resolve a disagreement about whether the quarry should be used for water storage or the disposal of inert waste.
But Environment & Infrastructure confirmed yesterday that its long-awaited policy letter was still months away from being submitted for debate by the States.
‘Despite it taking longer than anticipated to gather evidence, we are now in a position to begin the options analysis,’ said E&I president Lindsay de Sausmarez.
‘It is important to be able to explain our findings and the options assessment to States members and receive feedback ahead of the submission of a policy letter.
‘This work is progressing as a priority but it is important that the recommended way forward is an evidence-based decision.
‘With this in mind, we expect to be in a position to submit the policy letter for debate in the third quarter of this year.’
Deputies’ failure to make a timely decision about the future disposal of inert waste has already left the States Trading Supervisory Board with no option but to apply for planning permission to create a nine-metre high waste mountain at Longue Hougue.
STSB president Peter Roffey said the board’s recent planning application was ‘not really’ caused by the latest delay to the States debate and that the need to stockpile inert waste ‘became inevitable probably a year or two back’.
But he revealed that the ongoing delays would soon force the board to reconsider its charging policies for the disposal of inert waste.
‘I think we will soon have to give serious consideration to putting up prices,’ said Deputy Roffey.
‘At some point, once the States has decided where it wants us to put inert waste in the future, we’re going to have to move the waste disposed of already which we’re now having to stockpile.
‘It would not really be fair on people disposing of waste in the future to have to pay higher fees because we effectively have to dispose of today’s waste twice.’
E&I plans to present proposals which will allow deputies to decide long-term water storage requirements, how to deal with inert waste and the future use of Les Vardes at the same time.
The committee has been working closely with Guernsey Water and Guernsey Waste, both of which are the responsibility of the STSB.
‘We’re gathering evidence so that we can carry out a detailed analysis of the different options, which includes reviewing and updating Guernsey Water’s water resources and drought management plan as well as engineering assessments for the potential inert waste disposal solutions,’ said Deputy de Sausmarez.
Some politicians, including former Policy & Resources vice-president Deputy Mark Helyar, want Les Vardes quarry used for waste disposal, but others, including Deputy Roffey, want it used for water storage.
Deputy Helyar recently told the States that it would already be earning money if it had used the quarry for inert waste.
‘A problem if Les Vardes is used for waste, along with the problem that we should be using it for water storage, is that Ronez is still quarrying there, and so it would take longer to prepare that site for inert waste and stockpiling at Longue Hougue would have to go on even longer,’ said Deputy Roffey.
