Friday 27 November 2020
Islanders will have opportunities to make their views known on a potential extension to the Longue Hougue inert waste facility, known as Longue Hougue South.
In April 2020, the States directed the Development & Planning Authority (D&PA) to produce a Local Planning Brief (LPB) for the area immediately south of the current Longue Hougue site, for a potential future inert waste facility. It would be used to dispose of materials from local construction and demolition projects, such as rubble, stone and earth, which is classed as 'inert waste'.
A specialist firm, LUC, has been commissioned by the D&PA to draw up an initial draft LPB. The UK company has specific experience in developing planning policy, coastal modelling, and environmental impact assessments, which no local firm could provide.
The draft LPB will be subject to consultation with islanders, local environmental groups, and affected parishes, as well as relevant States' Committees, from an early stage.
Currently, residual inert waste is disposed of at the Longue Hougue Reclamation Site. This site is expected to be full in less than three years. While there is scope to reduce the amount that is produced - through better prevention, reuse and recycling - the States have recognised there will be an ongoing requirement for a replacement recovery or disposal facility.
The Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure and the States' Trading Supervisory Board, whose mandates cover waste management, considered 50 potential solutions. This identified further development at Longue Hougue as the best option.
An environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the site has already been carried out and the report was published last November. This detailed the findings of in-depth studies carried out over the previous 12 months, looking at the various potential impacts that could arise from the development of a new inert waste site, both during construction and operation.
These include noise, air quality, traffic, marine and terrestrial habitats, and geology. Where significant adverse effects were identified, mitigation measures have been proposed to remove or alleviate the impact.
D&PA President, Deputy Victoria Oliver, said while these studies will help inform LUC's work. However the company will also scrutinise the existing evidence and look for community input before producing the draft LPB.
Once that is published by the D&PA, a full planning inquiry will take place, overseen by an independent planning inspector, with further public consultation. These steps are required before any proposed development can be considered.
The planning inquiry is expected to take place next year, and the subsequent independent inspector's report will be presented to the States for approval. States Members could choose to accept, amend, or reject the draft Local Planning Brief.
Deputy Oliver said: "The preparation of the Local Planning Brief follows the States' direction and will consider the principle of developing a new inert waste facility at this location. This will be based on robust and credible evidence and allow opportunities for the public to engage in the process at an early stage. I can reassure the community that this is not a fait accompli, all the evidence will be reviewed and independently tested in preparing this Brief and there will be consultation before any decisions are made."
More information
Inert waste is non-hazardous material that does not readily react or decompose when exposed to the elements, making it suitable for land reclamation. It includes concrete, tarmac, bricks, stone and ceramics, which typically arise from construction or demolition work, excavations, and roads maintenance.
The amount of inert waste disposed in Guernsey is highly dependent on the construction industry. In the past 10 years it has ranged from 174,000 tonnes in 2012 to 50,000 tonnes in 2019. The long term average is predicted to be 81,000 tonnes.
Longue Hougue South residual inert waste facility would involve constructing a new breakwater, extending the reclamation site southward by around 500 metres. It would link to the shore around Spur Point, enclosing an area that could be infilled with inert waste. It would have capacity for more than 1½ million tonnes of inert waste, and would be expected to take between 11 and 15 years to fill, depending on the quantities received. Once complete, it would provide an area of more than 105,000 sq metres for future development.A new land reclamation site would only be one element of an overall strategy for managing construction waste, which encourages measures to reduce and recycle materials.
Guernsey Waste already screens material delivered to the Longue Hougue facility, to separate out any that can be recycled and reused in other local construction projects. The Development & Planning Authority is also working with the building industry on implementing waste management plans for major developments, which encourage material to be recycled within a building project. In fact a high proportion of demolition material is also recycled and reused, often in the same location, in local construction projects.
