Hi all,
I do not know how I am going to write this post or what I am going to say but I will do my best as I am pretty emotional right now.
For anyone that does not know I work for the National Trust for Jersey as their wildlife education officer but during the past weeks i have pushed my education tasks to the side to help with the campaign to save a part of the island's north coast from development. This place is called Plemont and is situated in the north-west of the island and has already had a derelict holiday campy on it for as long as i can remember.
The issue for our government to decide was whether they were going to negotiate with the owner to buy the land back for the people of Jersey and then sell to the Trust so that we can open the land up and return it to coastland heathland. In the end the debate was lost by one vote so there will now be 28 luxury homes built on our coastline, basically a luxury housing estate. I cannot really describe how I feel and I know for a fact that the public have been persuaded by the developer pouring out facts that are just not correct, which really hurts.
I must admit that on my way home I had a bit of a cry, I am even a bit tearful now to be honest. I am so gutted and heartbroken, I feel like we have failed not just the wildlife but future generations. This was a massive opportunity to do something right that will last forever and to show that we do care about Jersey and we have the courage to stand up against developers. As soon as the decision was made we received some phone calls about people who live round the area who have young families, telling us that they are going to have to move home because of the increase in traffic, noise and pollution. I hope the politicians that voted against realise the consequences of their decision.
I hope people realise that the Trust is a very small team. We have no marketing or campaign people and most of our staff have ignored their normal jobs to work on this campaign. All of this effort has only really come from 2 people, one of which has had a life threatening illness. I myself have been working 12 hour days to help out. The Trust is not a rich or large organisation and we only have 3 full time members of staff in the office.
There are also a few facts that have been brought up by most people as to why they were against the purchasing of Plemont. They have been driven into our heads by the developer, but are in fact not true. I will now explain:
1. The developer will return 2/3 of the site to nature - A figure that has seduced the public into thinking we are getting a lot for nothing, this is not true. The actual figure is 30% as much of the landed promised to be returned IS ALREADY OWNED BY THE STATES or is in between the houses and will be a landscaped green. This land in the middle is basically dead space and so will have to be managed using taxpayers money.
2. The site is worth £14 million - This is the figure that the developer wants for the site, IT DOES NOT MEAN that it is worth this much. Independent valuations set the market price for the land at between £4-6 million. The £14 million includes the profit that the developer wants to make, something that is by law, not included when valuing a site. The Trust was committed to paying £3 million of this. (Just so you know the owner payed around £5 million for the site so is likely to make a profit of £10 million).
3. The buildings will not impose on the landscape - Again this is untrue. One of the clusters of houses is set right against the cliff and the development will be visible from Grosnez and Sorel Point. There is now also the potential of more development in the future.
4. The money used will be better spent in other areas such as health and education - The is again is mis-leading as the money was coming from the emergency contingency fund. This money will never be allocated to anything else as the states have already agreed their financial plan for the next 3 years. They have actually increased spending on health and education.
There are plenty more of these but one that needs to be said is that the developer has also bought the 3 green fields around the site. Coincidence? Not likely, as this means nobody from the surrounding area can now appeal the decision as they are too far away, plus they may even build on these in the future.
It makes me so sad that the general public seems to have believed everything the developer and architect have said. They have basically lied to the public and you will see this when the houses are built.
What worries me most though is the lack of basic knowledge that our politicians have regarding our natural environment. The eco-system of the headland is going to be ruined forever with severe complications that will in the end cost the taxpayer money forever.
The main underlying point is that to have a health and vibrant economy you need a healthy and vibrant natural environment, which has been proven by decades of scientific research. Our planet contributes billions to our economy and it cost us trillions to solve the problems that we have already caused.
There is also the fact that open spaces improve our physical and mental well-being as well as create a sense of belonging and reduce crime. In a small island such as ours we need open space to get away from it all, to relax and is of the upmost importance as the World Health Organisation predicts that mental health problems will be the 2nd largest health issue by 2020.
All in all I am pretty gutted at the moment and I am sure that when people see the housing development they will ask questions as to why it happened and that the developers plans look different to the actual reality. The legacy of these housing estate will now be with the 25 states members who voted for it and I know that in 10/20/30 years time they will regret their decisions. It is such a shame that the PR machine of the developers seems to have even won over our elected members of government.
If you are reading this I urge you to investigate what the National Trust for Jersey does because they are a great charity that will continue to fight for the protection of our coastline and open spaces. They will continue to question and battle against inappropriate development and protect Jersey's natural heritage. The Trust is an independent charity that does not receive any financial support from the government (unlike Jersey Heritage who receive around £2.5 million per year).
One thing I am going to do tomorrow is to go to Plemont to take some pictures before the bulldozers move in and change the landscape forever.
I am going to leave by saying that this is a decision that will last forever. It is one that my children and their children will now have to live with and I am so sorry for that. Jersey has just lost another part of it that makes it special.
SLQ
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