Campaigners welcome withdrawal of solar farm plans that 'tipped the balance' of land use

The 'Save This View' group was worried that the proposed plan for a solar farm in St Mary, which was to have been Jersey's biggest, was a step towards the 'industrialisation of the countryside'.

Jersey Electricity announced this week that it has temporarily withdrawn its application for a solar farm on fields in St Mary.

The installation would have covered 22 acres of agricultural land.

READ: St Mary solar farm application withdrawn 

The proposal became a point of contention for parishioners in St Mary, and for 'Save This Group'   - nearby residents dedicated to campaigning against the plans. 

The planning application gained over 100 public comments, including:

'"The proposal to build a solar power station of this size in what is arguably one of the most rural and picturesque parishes in the island is lazy, short sighted and will be a regrettable eye sore."

"We should not be sacrificing green agricultural land which is in limited supply"

"A solar array project of this scale, particularly one that covers valuable agricultural land, is unlikely to contribute positively to the island's long-term wellbeing."

Announcing the plans last year, Jersey Electricity said the facility would house 10,000 photovoltaic panels, generating power for almost 1,200 homes.

The installation would have covered 22 acres of local agricultural land.

The site is currently used for growing potatoes, and is in close proximity to the protected coastal area.

The plans proposed 'the peripheral planting of orchards, with a grass and wildflower meadow mix being sown under the arrays' (to be managed by La Mare Winery Estate), in an attempt to offset employment and biodiversity loss.

William Layzell, part of the group 'Save This View' told Channel 103:

"The application at Champs Verts has highlighted, I hope, to everybody across the island, that really there needs to be a better, well-thought-through implementation of renewables in the island.

"We need to think about a strategic view of how we do it. 

"Champs Verts is (to have been) the biggest by far, and it just tips the balance. It suddenly turns into the industrialisation of the countryside which, in our view, is damaging to everybody.

"(Planning) Policy NE6 - which is specifically written for ground-mounted terrestrial solar panels - is very short, and one of the key points of that policy is that areas of high, prime, agricultural land should be avoided. We argue that this is prime agricultural land, so it is not appropriate to use."

The withdrawal of the plans came days after a planning policy comment from the Cabinet Office which concluded:

The principle of this form of development is supported by the (Island) plan, and the principle of its location in a rural green zone location is also supported, subject to a detailed assessment of its environmental impact, and the appropriate mitigation of such; together with a considered acceptance that the agricultural use of the land, and its beneficial management, can be maintained.

"The use of open countryside to host a renewable energy generating station has not, however, been clearly justified, relative to the use of alternative sites and, in particular, the potential use of glasshouse sites to be used for development of this kind."

In a statement, Jersey Electricity said it would resubmit an application in due course.