Guernsey Solar Panel Plan Criticized Over Greenfield Site
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- Mr L Shephard has applied to install 72 ground-mounted solar panels on agricultural land in St Sampson, saying the system would power his house and up to seven other properties.
- Chris Chadwick, an islander, opposes the plan, arguing the applicant's large house roof would be a more suitable location and that the site provides habitat for insects, moths and caterpillars that incubate underground.
- Applicant Mr L Shephard disputes the greenfield label, saying greenhouses once stood on the land before being destroyed and buried under topsoil, and that buried structures now make the site unsuitable for agriculture.
- Simon De La Rue, commercial director of Little Green Energy, said dormer windows and limited roof space on the applicant's house would yield fewer panels at a higher levelized cost of energy than the ground installation.
- Simon De La Rue also argued greenfield solar proposals should be decided "case-by-case," suggesting good biodiversity planting policies and low-impact ground infrastructure could allow installation in a "sensitive manner."
- No decision date has been set for the planning application.
Why it matters: The dispute crystallises the trade-off Guernsey faces as it pursues household-scale renewables: a 72-panel array that could supply up to eight properties is being weighed against preserving diminishing greenfield habitat that a critic says supports insects and moths the island cannot replace. A renewable energy director's intervention — flagging rooftop cost limits and calling for case-by-case greenfield review — signals the planning debate may extend well beyond this single application.
