Space and open land will always be at a premium in a 45-square-mile island. There will also be continual and no doubt increasing pressure on natural resources such as water.
In addition, economic growth will always tend to increase pollution levels, exacerbate traffic problems and encourage the development of green spaces.
The draft plan recognises each of these factors and suggests strategies for protecting and enhancing the natural and man-made elements of the environment. Reducing waste, energy use, pollution levels and traffic density are among the goals listed.
However, concern for the environment extends beyond our shores and it is argued that the Island must play its part in controlling carbon emissions for the benefit of the global community.
The Island Plan is seen as a key part of the drive to protect the natural environment, as well as a means of developing the urban landscape, including the St Helier Waterfront, in ways that meet the wishes and needs of all sectors of the population.
The draft plan also says that the Island’s own natural resources, such as wind, tide and geothermal strata, must be assessed as potential sources of energy.
• Picture: The Island Plan is seen as a key part of the drive to protect the natural environment
