Today, the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel (the Panel) held a Quarterly Public Hearing with the Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Tom Binet.
The Panel questioned the Minister on the Government of Jersey’s Bridging Liquid Waste Strategy 2023-2026, for which the Panel has now started a review. The review’s main aim is to assess how the Bridging Liquid Waste Strategy 2023-26 plans to address known issues with the ageing and capacity of the Island’s current sewerage and drainage network. The current network has been under strain due to population growth, climate change, and allocated funds intended for upkeep of the network being diverted to fund the new Sewage Treatment Works. It has been identified that the ageing sewerage network is resulting in insufficient infrastructure capacity to accommodate new developments and to meet housing targets set out in the Bridging Island Plan 2022-25, including those sites re-zoned for affordable housing. Planned developments cannot be occupied until the network is increased or improved and can accommodate the additional flows.
In relation to the issues and important concerns raised by discussions at the hearing, the Panel has agreed to extend the period in which Islanders can submit their views to its review. Amongst other matters, the Panel heard:
- All progress in addressing the issue of liquid waste management is dependent on the allocation of government funding, which the Minister is confident will be granted.
- The Liquid Waste strategy is an informative document for Islanders and relevant stakeholders to stay up to date on plans moving forward and will be updated as projects progress.
- The Minister is working closely with the housing policy team and looking at the best options for future developments.
- There are certain projects which are priorities for the next four years, for which the feasibility funding and businesses cases have now be done, namely:
o The Dicq rising main replacements in St Brelades, Greve de Lecq and First Tower
o Strategic storage tanks in St Peter and the airport as well as West Hill, which will support the Northern Parishes. Tied in to the Westhill storage tank, the department are looking at replacing the Bonne Nuit sewage treatment works and pumping station.
o Works on St Aubin’s Road and the Beaumont outfall.
When speaking about the liquid waste management projects as a whole, the Minister said ‘We are looking down the barrel of a gun. There’s an awful lot of work to be done in a short space of time.’
Deputy Steve Luce, Chair of the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Panel, said: ‘This issue is becoming increasingly urgent and will define our ability to deliver on the housing developments set out in the Government Plan. As we progress with our Scrutiny review, evidence from key stakeholders remains an integral part of understanding all the issues at hand. We urge individual property owners, developers or construction industry stakeholders who have had difficulty in connecting property onto the mains sewerage network, or with any other issue relevant to this review, to come forward and share their views with the Panel. The deadline for gathering these views has now been extended to Friday 09 June at 5pm.’
You can do so by:
1. By completing the ‘Get involved’ form on the States Assembly website
2. By emailing [email protected]
3. By messaging the States Assembly on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
States of Jersey States Assembly