STATES OF JERSEY
Draft Howard Davis Farm (Abrogation of Covenant) (Jersey) Law 200- (P.95/2008): amendment (P.95/2008 Amd.) – comments
Presented to the States on 15th July 2008
by the Minister for Transport and Technical Services
STATES GREFFE
COMMENTS
When the location for the new Animal Carcass
Incinerator (ACI) was being considered, the most appropriate location
transpiring to be Howard Davis Farm, the management and trustees of Acorn
Enterprises raised concerns about how such an installation, adjacent to their
operation, could affect the services they provide to their clients.
Following lengthy negotiations between Acorn
Enterprises and their trustees, it was agreed that, subject to agreement from
the Howard Davis family, provision would be made in the new trust arrangements
for the ACI to be located at Howard Davis Farm until such time as a new and
more permanent location could be found for the facility.
Initially, a period of occupancy at Howard Davis Farm
was agreed for 2 years as being long enough to find an alternative site.
On investigation, it became apparent that the 2 alternative sites that
were being considered, Bellozanne and La Collette, both had a number of
construction projects underway at present or planned for the near future, and in
all likelihood, to be able to complete a relocation of the ACI within
2 years was unlikely. As a consequence, in negotiating with the Howard
Davis family a period of 3 years was requested and subsequently agreed.
Bellozanne
One option for the relocation of the ACI is to
Bellozanne. At present the site is completely full due to the amount of solid
waste that has to be processed, the public access required for the re-use
recycling centre and the unknowns in terms of land use requirements for the
liquid waste strategy. Until the liquid waste strategy has been completed to
assess whether Bellozanne remains the focal point for the Island’s liquid waste
treatment, the re-allocation of land for any new facility is not possible.
Given the timescale for the liquid waste strategy and the planning and
construction requirements for relocating the ACI, a 3 year period is the
minimum in which this could be accommodated.
La
Collette
The La Collette I reclamation site is
virtually full in terms of developable land and the only vacant site has been
identified for a new breakthrough to the La Collette II site.
The La Collette II site has one current
occupant, Connex, and the second, the Energy from Waste plant, is about to
commence. A third potential area on La Collette II is earmarked for
the in-vessel compost project, however, given that the current strategic master
planning underway for the potential move of the port, any in-vessel compost
plant that is built at La Collette II will be built in a fashion that
will allow it to be moved if required in the longer term.
If the ACI were to be constructed at
La Collette II the only land that would not be impacted upon by the
potential move of the port would be adjacent to the new Energy from Waste plant
and it will also allow TTS to concentrate its operations in that one area. The
area set aside for the contractors’ site compound could be used for relocating
the ACI, however, this will not be available until after the 2011 completion of
the Energy from Waste project.
To use another area of land at
La Collette II whilst there is a strategic planning exercise being
undertaken as part of the Island Plan review appears to be very short-sighted,
to move the ACI at a high capital cost when it might have to be relocated again
in the near future.
In the longer term, if La Collette area is to be
developed for a new commercial/ passenger port, the location and land value of
the current abattoir has to be questioned. It is possible that a new location
for a modern, fully functional abattoir and ACI with appropriate segregation
might be the best operation in terms of land use planning.
These options need a thorough appraisal and
feasibility study before an investment in the order of £970,000, as identified
in the capital programme for 2010, is made for moving the ACI to a site that in
the long term might not be the best option for the Island.
Financial
and manpower implications
Currently the allocation of £970,000 to move the ACI
is included in the provisional capital programme for 2010. This allocation will
allow for the necessary planning and construction to relocate the ACI within
the 3 year timescale allocated. If the timescale is reduced to
2 years as suggested in the amendment, this money will be required in the
2009 capital allocation.
In terms of manpower requirements, to fast-track this
project within a 2 year timescale will require additional manpower to
undertake the necessary planning and feasibility study work. Whilst this
manpower does not exist from within existing resources, consultants will have
to be engaged to undertake the full feasibility study which will add costs in
the order of an additional £30,000 – £50,000.