The Jersey Electricity Company received permission to build the 7.2-metre-high switching station on land to the south-west of South Hill boxing gym, near the learner driver reversing bays.
Planning officer Derek Smyth said that the area at Mount Bingham was designated as an important open space in the Island Plan 2002, but he added: ‘The applicant has demonstrated a clear need for a switching station in this location to secure the Island’s energy supply.
Efforts have been made to mitigate the appearance of the structure by placing it two metres below ground level and by installing an outer wall of granite around the sub-station. There will also be extensive landscaping to screen the proposal.’
But the plans were strongly opposed by Blair Hickman, of the Jersey Driving Instructors Association. He said: ‘The reason I object to this monster being built in that it is in a green area and it is going to squash us all in at the top part. This building will destroy everything. And with the area having been the site of a PoW camp, we are going to lose another bit of history.’
