Sea grass just below the surface, Violet Bank, south east coast, Jersey This is a letter that was sent to all States members a week ago by a group of eminent scientists, urging support for amendments to the Marine Spatial Plan that would reinstate the marine protected areas as originally proposed. The argument they advance … More Letter regarding the Marine Spatial Plan
An update Since I wrote this article, the St Clement solar array has come on stream and I understand it is performing well. There has also been remarkably little comment about it since commissioning, which suggests that the visual impact is not causing much upset. There are now several other schemes being planned, including a … More Jersey’s New Solar Story
This post is to provide an update (and further thoughts) on a meeting that all 5 elected representatives from St Brelade (Deputies Helen Miles, Moz Scott, Monty Tadier and myself, along with Constable Mike Jackson) held with Lloyds Bank on Thurs Sept 26th, to discuss the recently announced closure of their Les Quennevais branch. Following … More Lloyds Bank
The JEP highlighted the issue of redundant glasshouses yesterday, following recent supplementary planning guidance (SPG) on the issue*. Here are some thoughts on how the issue might be resolved. First, redundant glasshouses are not “brownfield” sites, they are agricultural land with temporary structures. From a planning point of view, the default position is that once … More Glasshouses: a way forward
https://youtu.be/hUbOUmVr_mo We’re now half way through this term of office, so this is a good moment to take stock. Two years ago I went into the Assembly full of ambition, an agenda for change and hope for the future. How has it turned out so far? MENV and out It’s very much a story of … More Mid term report
Yesterday the States Assembly voted 32-14 to set up an Assisted Dying Service accessible to people who have a terminal illness. The proposal to extend the service to those who do not have a terminal illness but have “unbearable suffering” was rejected 27-19. It was a very difficult decision for me, but in the end … More Assisted Dying
It is very disappointing to see the government expend so little energy in trying to find a way to keep Evie’s dockless bike scheme going. There seems to be a collective shrug of the shoulders as the bike service ends, when the government should surely have been shifting heaven and earth to try and find … More The end of Evie bikes
Just a short note to say it was great to see such strong support in the States Assembly today for the proposition to take forward the project to build a wind farm in Jersey’s territorial waters (the vote was 40-1). The final decision is of course still a long way off – but this vote … More Reaction to wind farm vote
I want to tackle recent commentary regarding the island’s response to climate change, because there have been a number of assertions that need challenging, particularly arising from various columns and letters in the JEP, but also in social media posts. Points that have been made include: In this blog post, I will deal with the … More Why we should ignore climate change deniers
A reminder and update of my rules of engagement on social media, particularly X and Facebook. I am happy to engage in debate, when I can find the time. I enjoy the exchange of ideas and it is a good way to stay in touch with different groups and a wide range of opinion. I … More Social media: how I engage
Jonathan Renouf 