Overflow coastal car park to be returned to nature
An overflow coastal car park is set to be returned to nature after being trampled by cars for decades.
The land to the north of the Grandes Rocques headland car park is currently used as a seasonal overflow car park. But it is also classed as a site of special significance
Now Agriculture, Countryside & Land Management Services is planning to restore it as a coastal grassland habitat.
Senior natural environment officer Julia Henney said that coastal grasslands were rich in biodiversity.
‘By restoring this area, we’re creating a place where we hope that species can thrive while also creating more space for people to connect with nature, which is one of the goals of Guernsey’s Strategy for Nature,’ she said.
Coastal grassland is an important habitat, supporting a diversity of iconic wild flowers, such as sea pink and sea campion, as well as pollinators and birds.
Having the area returned to being a grassland is important, as it provides a link between the end of the headland and other nearby areas of coastal grassland.
Historically the entire headland was used for parking. Then in the 1990s the current set-up was put in place, with a car park on the western side and the overflow car park on the eastern side.
A boulder will be installed at the entrance to the overflow car park and topsoil will be laid to support the growth of vegetation.
The soil has been sourced from the other end of Cobo Bay, where Mim’s kiosk has removed some for work on kiosk improvements.
Miss Henney said this was the perfect option, as it would be coming from a nearby coastal location, and would already have native needs in the soil.
‘We will give it some time to see what gets established,’ she said.
‘We hope it will contain a seed bank. If we need to, we will sow some native plants.’
While it is an exposed, salty location, these native species will be able to thrive in the location.
‘By the end of summer, it should look great,’ Miss Henney said.
The soil is being carefully checked, to ensure no non-native invasive species are introduced.
La Societe botany section is planning to do a botany survey of the site before work starts and then again later in the summer to see how the scheme goes.
The change will reduce the number of spaces in the area, but a couple of extra spaces will be created where the former overflow entrance was.
There is room for about 50 car parking spaces in the main car park, as well as more than 30 spaces in the car park at the base of the headland.
