my life. So the public will is there, but how do we translate it into action?
The answer is practical. Everyone I know buys into the principle of preserving the natural beauty of the island; that principle needs to be carried through to action by individuals, by the parishes and by the States. A thousand small decisions will achieve the end result. Here are some thoughts around key clusters.
Public access to our coastline, our woodlands and countryside is important. A 2013 survey by Jersey Heritage, the States funded body which looks after our museums and magnificent castles, showed that seven out of ten people had used our coastline and inland paths in the previous year on average eleven times each. Enjoying the beauty of our island is important to us all. Our paths and island walks foster tourism which still remains our second industry. There is room for many more paths inland, in our valleys and along old half abandoned tracks. Our roads are crowded and sometimes dangerous. Where inland footpaths exist they are popular and provide a pleasant way of getting around. We should have more of them, especially to use for every day purposes. Each path which we create gives pedestrians freedom from the motor car. There is always a balance to be struck; matters must always be done by consent. Landowners have been generous over the years in helping create paths and their property rights need to be protected. In the modern world so much good comes from creating a footpath that the effort is worthwhile. Parishes have a role to play here. Transport policy needs to be right. Traffic
congestion and pollution are the downsides of living in the south of the island or working in St. Helier. Electric vehicles will help and the JEC are to be congratulated on their initiative in providing recharging points. The use of electric vehicles will soar as the costs come down. They have much lower running costs, so once the capital costs are low enough environmental responsibility will make financial sense. Making public transport easier to use will help tip the balance. I see no reason why buses should not be made free to all users, using revenue generated from car parks to subsidise the service. I would also like to see cars which enter our car parks with at least one passenger pay for parking at a half rate. Both encourage us to leave our cars at home in a way which reduces congestion and thereby improves journey times for other users, so that everyone benefits.
Land use needs to be fostered. Certain areas of land have gone out of cultivation over the last hundred years. Some of it returns to woodland but much is scrub or overgrown. Our sheep grazing project on the North Coast has successfully introduced the Manx Longhorn sheep into the island and it is pleasing to see that the States will be doing the same on the cliff land in its ownership. There is a role for agricultural smallholdings in the island and we hope that Morel Farm will return to the fold in the next few years. Organic farming provides a focus for individual successful businesses; as well as protecting our water supply and natural environment from pesticides. The Genuine Jersey brand has really worked and shows that islanders are prepared to support local producers. A small level of
funding support from the States of Jersey makes a difference in this area.
We have a lot of the solution in place already. We have an Island Plan which is fundamentally sound; we have planning controls which in theory at least are capable of protecting our Coastline and our Green Zone. We have a public which wants Jersey to retain its natural beauty. The difficult area will of course be population. In 2012 our population was estimated to be 99,000. If net inward migration continues at a rate of 700 individuals each year then by 2070 our population will be 148,900, according to the States of Jersey Statistical Unit. If there is to be such an increase the National Trust’s role in preserving our “green and pleasant land” will be even more important in 2070 than it is today.
20/20 - Our Environment
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