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Proposed Solar Project

THE PROPOSAL

An application by the Jersey Electricity Company to construct a large-scale ground-mounted solar power station at Belle Fontaine in the Parish of St Martin is currently being developed and is expected to come before the Planning Department in due course.

The proposal forms part of JEC’s wider Solar 5000 strategy and would see the installation of 8,392 solar panels across approximately 8 hectares (around 50 vergées) of open countryside on land north of Queen’s Valley Reservoir. The development would fundamentally change the character of this rural area, introducing industrial-scale infrastructure into a landscape valued by local residents for its openness, agricultural use, and scenic views.

Concerned parishioners believe that, while renewable energy is important, the scale, location, and visual impact of this proposal mean it is unsuitable for St Martin. They argue that the development would industrialise productive countryside and set a worrying precedent for further large solar installations in sensitive rural locations.

The site lies within an area currently used for active agriculture and is close to well-used public routes and surrounding homes. Despite claims that the development would be screened by hedgerows, residents are concerned that the extent of the panels, fencing, access tracks, and associated infrastructure would be clearly visible and permanently alter the landscape. There are also concerns about the cumulative impact of solar schemes across the island, with several already approved or under consideration in other parishes.

Those opposing the scheme stress that their objections are not anti-renewable energy. Instead, they believe the proposal is too large, too intrusive, and in the wrong place, failing to strike the right balance between energy generation, protection of the countryside, food security, and the amenity value of the parish for residents and visitors alike.

Local objectors believe that the beauty, agricultural importance, and rural character of St Martin have not been given sufficient weight, and that alternative locations or smaller-scale solutions should be explored before sacrificing open countryside to industrial development.