The contraction of the horticultural industry in the Channel Islands is creating the need to review planning policies around sites containing disused or redundant greenhouses.
Earlier this month, the Blue Diamond Group asked for a change to Guernsey’s planning policies to allow a large housing development on the site of derelict greenhouses in St Peter Port.
According to the BBC, consultant Andrew Ozanne, at Lovell Ozanne, said the site “will never be returned to commercial use” and “would provide a lot of housing opportunity.” However, under current planning policies on the island, despite being derelict for more than a decade, the site cannot be zoned for housing as it outside designated ‘local centres.’
Mr Ozanne said that using former horticultural land was preferable to building on greenfield sites. “I am sorry that the planning authority has chosen greenfield sites for easy giveaways for housing developments, but those greenfield sites are enjoyed by people,” he said. “So, using spaces like this, redundant glass is the best option in the short and long-term.”
A few days later, Jersey’s government clarified its rules for the redevelopment of derelict and redundant glasshouses. Previously commercial glasshouses were considered to be ‘temporary structures’ which should be removed at the end of their economic life, with the land returned to farming.
However, following a consultation, these rules will now be relaxed. “We’re not going to turn derelict glasshouse sites into housing sites overnight, and that’s not the idea of the policy at all,” said Deputy Steve Luce, Jersey’s Environment Minister. “However, in exceptional circumstances there will be cases to maybe allow some development on these derelict and redundant greenhouse sites in return for big environmental gain for islanders.”
While some growers say the new proposals do not go far enough, Doug Richardson, President of the Jersey Farmers’ Union, welcomed the move, saying, “It’s reassuring to see that the minster took and wrote into the policy some of the ideas that the famers’ union put forward, such as solar power generation, other agricultural uses, equine uses. I think the general trajectory is in the right direction.”