Power station could be relocated

Wednesday 18 September 2024

Plans for improving resilience at Guernsey's harbours could see the power station relocated to Longue Hougue or elsewhere.

It's one of the ideas mooted in the Local Planning Brief (LBP) for Guernsey's Harbour Action Areas (HAA).

The HAAs are St Peter Port and St Sampson's harbours and their surrounding areas.

In St Sampson's case the action area covers the land between Vale Castle and Longue Hougue including the power station on North Side and the fuel storage sites on Bulwer Avenue.

Pictured: The two Harbour Action Areas.

The LBP summarises guidelines and government requirements for the development of the two HAAs and in that it includes suggestions around the economic activity at both harbours, the natural environment, housing requirements, traffic and transport needs, and other ways the resilience of both can be improved for future needs.

Flood mitigation measures are included too - with a focus on St Sampson's where the likelihood of sea levels rising has long been acknowledged as a risk factor.

St Sampson's is described in the LPB as hosting a mix of retail and heavy industries with the power station and fuel storage sites both repeatedly mentioned throughout the document and appendices. 

In one section, both are described as being 'bad neighbours' when it comes to increasing the number of homes in the already densely populated parish. 

"There is no easy way to provide new homes in the St Sampson HAA without addressing future flood risk issues and relocating or upgrading some of the ‘bad neighbour’ industrial activities, such as fuel storage and the power station. However, provision of new housing may aid the States in achieving infrastructure needs related to flooding" - P30 St Peter Port and St Sampsons Harbour Action Plans - draft Local Planning Brief.

The LBP doesn't outright suggest where to move the power station to - but Longue Hougue comes up as a proposed location in the 'St Sampson's Objectives' where the report authors have stated the importance of prioritising the need for water access to the reclaimed land, and relocating the power station and fuel storage sites as the island moves towards decarbonisation.

Pictured: Longue Hougue is named as a potential site for the power station if it were to be relocated in the future.

Further details about the plans for the power station can be found on page 50 of the LBP - where it's worded as 'Reducing the impact of the power station at St Sampson's'.

Here it's explained that one of the benefits of Guernsey transitioning to net zero carbon is the opportunity to relocate or replace the power station.

"This includes considering alternative locations for a new or replacement facility away from The Bridge and areas close to existing or proposed homes, high intensity employment uses such as offices or workspace, community, cultural or mixed uses" states the LPB.

The States’ committed us to be carbon neutral by 2050 with Guernsey Electricity critical to the plan. That is likely to happen through investment in a new cable link with France offering the chance to use nuclear or renewable energy bought from the European grid as opposed to relying on non-renewable gas as a primary power source.

That gas is currently shipped in to the island and stored at Bulwer Avenue, in an area known as the fuel storage site.

The LPB also proposes that over time that fuel storage site is relocated within the St Sampson's Harbour Action Area, to Longue Hougue.

This is explained as a way of reducing the impact that the fuel storage containers has on surrounding uses and activities, and to support inward investment.

As the island decarbonises there'll be a much reduced need for fuel storage and the LPB says it will be safer too.

"The proposed relocation will reduce the negative impacts of these uses including Major Hazards Public Safety Zones (areas identified in the IDP adjacent to hazardous installations where particular attention must be paid to the health and safety implications of proposed development) and related mitigation. This will then enable other land uses as supported by LPB Policy 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 to come forward around the northern edges of the harbour" - P50 St Peter Port and St Sampsons Harbour Action Plans - draft Local Planning Brief.

The LPB acknowledges that moving either or both of the power station and fuel storage sites would be expensive but that it would bring long term benefits to the Harbour Action Area in St Sampson's.

"In the same way that the power station restricts neighbouring sensitive land uses, fuel storage in St Sampson necessitates the use of blast zones in which sensitive land use is not possible..." the LPB states.

It also states: "The phased relocation of fuel storage will present a significant improvement in land available for more sensitive land uses which would in turn aid the States in meeting their objectives, particularly in relation to housing.

"Longue Hougue may represent a good location for relocation of fuel storage and this may locate well with a combined relocation of more industrial marine related industries (as per Policy 2.1). In addition a new location for inert waste will need to be identified within 10 years of the date of adoption of the LPB and these matters should be considered in a joined up and strategic way to ensure a mutually beneficial arrangement for each use."

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Harbours planning brief out today

EXPLAINED: The Harbours 'Local Planning Brief'