Plan for solar panels in field draws criticism
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- L Shephard has applied to install 72 ground-mounted solar panels on agricultural land in St Sampson, with no decision date yet set by planners.
- Chris Chadwick opposed the plan, arguing the applicant's large house roof would be a more appropriate location and warning that greenfield sites in Guernsey provide irreplaceable habitat for insects, moths, and caterpillars that incubate underground.
- L Shephard disputed the greenfield designation, claiming former greenhouses on the land were destroyed and buried under topsoil, leaving buried structures that make the site unsuitable for agriculture.
- Shephard said the proposed solar array would power his house and up to seven other properties.
- Little Green Energy commercial director Simon De La Rue said rooftop solar faces "many obstacles" — dormer windows reduce available roof space, driving up the levelised cost of energy — making ground installations more cost-effective for meeting the property's electrical demands.
- De La Rue called for biodiversity-focused planting policies around solar arrays and said greenfield installations should be decided "on a case-by-case basis."
Why it matters: The dispute hinges on whether the site qualifies as greenfield at all — Shephard points to buried greenhouse remains, while critics see an untouched natural habitat. If planners side with the applicant, it establishes a precedent that buried agricultural infrastructure disqualifies land from greenfield protections in Guernsey; if they reject it, small-scale renewable projects in the island may be pushed toward costlier rooftop retrofits.
