The total area of land within the agricultural priority area which has been approved for change of use to domestic curtilage between November 2016 and September 2026 is 99.35 vergees.
Agricultural priority areas represent Guernsey’s most valuable agricultural land. Although it is not reserved exclusively for agriculture, IDP policies make clear the priority is given to the needs of commercial agriculture.
‘It should be noted that this figure does not necessarily represent land that was actively farmed or the amount of land lost from active agricultural production, which is likely to be considerably less,’ said the Development & Planning Authority.
‘When the agricultural priority area designation was identified, a broadbrush approach was taken to delineate larger swathes of agricultural land in accordance with the strategic land use plan. As a result, some land that was not actively farmed was included within the designation.’
The figure was revealed in a series of Rule 14 questions submitted by Deputy Ross Le Brun.
DPA president Neil Inder has set up a work group to determine whether there is a demand for more access to agricultural land for the purposes of domestic food production.
The UK definition of ‘small holding’ is an area between one and fifty acres.
‘There is a developing theme of a variation of that definition for the Guernsey context of smaller parcels of land,’ said the authority.
‘There are further thoughts developing quite quickly on what the DPA may be able to change through flexing its existing policies and what amendments would need to come to the States for agreement or ratification.
‘Guernsey imports some 98% of its food; the work group along with a number of other deputies believe there is a pent-up demand for greater access to agricultural land and flexing the policies to allow more infrastructure on those fields and parcels are worth considering.’
The DPA is also proposing reforms to streamline the plan-making process which are expected to be debated this autumn.
Subject to States approval, these measures would allow amendments to planning policy to be made more efficiently between full plan reviews, enabling the authority to respond more effectively to changing circumstances.
The DPA is required to keep planning policy under review and will continue to make changes where necessary.
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