Minister hopes to relax derelict glasshouse rules

The new minister for planning and regulation has told the BBC he wants to relax rules around developing derelict glasshouses.

The island plan says that derelict glasshouses should be removed and where possible the land should be returned to agricultural use.

However, Senator Mark Boleat has said if the derelict structures cannot be returned to agriculture, then they could be developed for housing.

Kevin Herve, a farmer in St Clement plans to turn derelict glasshouses on his farm into housing and sports facilities and welcomed the planning minister's comments.

In an interview explaining his vision for the role Senator Mark Boleat said "planning regulation is the biggest obstacle to economic growth."

However, he added: "We do need to preserve the rural character of Jersey, we do need to preserve the coastline, all of that is perfectly consistent with having more development in the right places."

When asked where he would envisage more housing, Senator Boleat said derelict glasshouses on farms could be part of the solution.

"Some have been converted back to agricultural use, others for other uses, but in some cases I don't really think they count as greenfield, they're far from it. We need to look at those."

"Now if they can be returned to agricultural land viably that's fine, but if they can't just leaving them as derelict does not enhance the environment."

Kevin Herve from Tours Farm in St Clement has had derelict glasshouses since 2012 and has big ambitions for what he would like to do with them.

He said: "I would like to return one third of the area which is about five acres to agriculture, one third to sports and leisure and the other third to maybe five or six houses."

When asked if the planning rules would allow him to do that, Herve said: "We are not allowed to do anything with them apart from take them down and return them all to agriculture."

"That's impossible because it's £1.2m pounds to take them down, we've already spent £600,00-£700,00 taking all the heating pipes out, taking the boilers out, taking all the pumps and pipes out of the greenhouse."

However, Herve is optimistic the rules will be relaxed: "The new government is saying that we have to make planning simpler.

"They've separated the environment side and left planning for Senator Mark Boleat to go in and sort it out, they have to have courage and look at these sites instead of Greenfields in the middle of St John's."

Planning used to be under the remit of the environment minister but will now be a separate ministry under Senator Mark Boleat.

However, Christopher Schofield from Save Jersey's Heritage was "profoundly concerned" about the creation of the new role.

Schofield explained: "Only 30 years ago it was concluded that you couldn't really engage in the planning process without considering its environmental repercussions."

"And, in our view, that remains the case and so this sudden separation of the two functions is profoundly worrying."

"You might as well say, 'Oh, I'm going to deal with building roads, but I won't give any thought to traffic matters'.

"It's a strange divorce, and it's one that doesn't make sense to us.

"We worry that it leaves the environment rather exposed and unprotected."

Schofield was also concerned about the Minister's comments on derelict glass houses.

He said: "It would very much depend upon where the glasshouse was."

"If it was surrounded by open fields I wouldn't really be in favour of a new housing development turning up there.

"Because the next thing you know is there'll be infill between that piece of built-up countryside and the most adjacent piece of already built-up Jersey and that's how you start to lose the distinction between town and country and find that everything is becoming a little bit suburban."

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