The Weekly Briefing from The Quarry

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‘Forever chemical’ clean-up operation to cost £16.5m as containment fails and regulatory standards breached

The Quarry - Independent news from GuernseyNick Mann

• More than 15,000 tonnes of soil contaminated with PFOS 'forever chemicals' stored at Guernsey Airport since 2012 will be shipped to UK for treatment if States approve £16.5m cleanup in June
• PFOS levels in monitoring wells at times vastly outstrip regulatory limit indicating the containment membrane has failed
• The contaminated soil, excavated from areas including a 2012 freight plane crash site, was stored in bunded cells that were only intended as temporary solution
• Soil will undergo 'soil washing' process in UK using abrasives and carbon filtration, with sand and gravel reused and residual material disposed of in hazardous waste sites
• Officials say there is no immediate health risk as the location is outside drinking water catchments, though monitoring shows chemicals have escaped the containment

In other news...

• Sub-committee says fundamental corporate tax reform would present considerable economic risk and cannot deliver sufficient revenues
• P&R will make its final recommendation on 8 June
• It has ask committees to draft up major service cuts to show what the options are
• Introduction of annual charge for vehicle ownership and luxury car surcharge being worked on

• Average property purchase price reached £604,094 in Q1 2026, up 4.1% annually and 18.5% over five years, marking a return to growth after declines in 2024–2025
• Time to sale extended to 284 days average, up 37 days year-on-year, whilst the gap between asking and achieved prices widened to 8.4% from 3.0% in 2021
• 163 Local Market transactions completed in Q1 2026, with properties between £300,000–£699,999 accounting for 64% of sales
• Average rental prices reached £2,170 per month, rising 4.9% annually and 44.9% over five years, outpacing general inflation
• Island's housing stock grew by net 45 units in Q1 2026, with 112 units added over the past year through new builds, subdivisions and conversions

• Solar panels or alternative renewable energy technology now mandatory on all new housing and commercial developments in Guernsey
• Decision made by Development & Planning Authority following States-approved Electricity Strategy from 2023
• Alternatives include non-roof mounted solar products, air source heat pumps and battery storage
• Sites will be assessed case-by-case to ensure suitable renewable energy provision
• Measure aims to boost on-island electricity generation and support energy security targets

• Guernsey Chamber of Commerce raises concerns over social security reforms in Government's GST+ tax package
• Reforms show net £5m but comprise £17m additional contributions offset by £12m reductions, majority falling on employers
• Employer contribution rates to rise from 7.1% to 8.0%, plus 2.5% on income between Upper Earnings Limit and £250k
• Chamber calls for clear breakdown of costs, transparency on new versus planned measures, and full business impact assessment
• Member briefing event scheduled for 21st May at Camilla's Café to discuss proposals with Government representatives

• Guernsey Victim Support and Witness Service publishes five-year plan calling for island's first victim compensation scheme, describing current absence as placing Guernsey among 'only places in the world' without such provision
• Charity reports demand has increased significantly alongside case complexity, with sexual violence services already exceeding current provision despite recent pilot expansion
• Strategic plan identifies five priority areas: victims' code of rights, compensation scheme, sexual abuse services expansion, financial fraud services and specialist support for child victims
• Case studies demonstrate impact including recovery of £176,000 for fraud victims, though victim died from stress-related health decline; sexual abuse survivor praised service as 'lifesaver'
• Implementation depends on securing adequate funding amid ongoing financial pressures, with charity noting 'securing appropriate resources remains an ongoing challenge'

• Islanders invited to contribute views on use of Guernsey's territorial waters through public survey
• Marine Spatial Plan will establish long-term vision for marine environment extending to 12 nautical miles
• Plan will cover almost 700 square miles, balancing fishing, shipping, renewable energy, and conservation needs
• First public survey open until 12th June, with draft plan to be published for further consultation
• Workshops and focus groups with specific stakeholder groups to be held in coming weeks

• Fourteen purpose-built flats for islanders with learning and physical disabilities will welcome residents from 13 May
• La Vieille Plage features individual kitchens and bathrooms, shared communal spaces, 24-hour support and assistive technology throughout
• The development includes Guernsey's first fully inclusive swing, a therapeutic sensory room and accessible gardens
• Residents will move from Sunnybrook at Duchess of Kent House and other supported living arrangements
• The project benefited from collaboration between States of Guernsey, GHA and community donations from Mencap and Co-Op Community Fund

• Vale Earth Fair celebrating 50th anniversary in 2026 with alien sculpture trail across the island
• Local charities, community groups and creatives invited to create alien sculptures from reused or environmentally friendly materials
• Completed sculptures will be displayed at various island locations throughout summer 2026
• October auction planned with 50% of proceeds going to Vale Earth Fair and 50% to maker's chosen charity
• Organisers seeking both sculpture creators and locations to host displays

• German Ambassador to the UK, Her Excellency Susanne Baumann, visited Guernsey this week in the first such visit for more than 10 years
• The ambassador laid a wreath at the German Military Cemetery at Fort George and met with senior government officials
• Discussions covered Guernsey's interests relating to the EU-UK Reset, as well as trade, energy and financial services
• The visit follows the signing of the Biberach-Guernsey Framework of Friendship arrangement and coincides with Liberation Day celebrations
• Ambassador Baumann also met with representatives from the Guernsey Music Service and students from the Guernsey Youth Orchestra

• Guernsey Development Impact Fund to expand from £1m to £7m without additional taxpayer spending
• Expansion achieved by increasing allocation within States of Guernsey's General Investment Portfolio
• Fund operates through impact investing, targeting social and environmental outcomes alongside financial returns
• Will support projects addressing poverty, healthcare, education, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods
• Approach allows capital to be recycled over time and helps attract additional private investment

• CIFO clarifies that UK motor finance redress scheme does not apply to Channel Islands consumers
• Channel Islands have no statutory compensation scheme equivalent to UK system being established
• CIFO can review motor finance complaints and award compensation up to £150,000 where merits exist
• Consumers must first complain to lender or dealer, waiting three months before escalating to CIFO
• Organisation offers free, impartial service for resolving financial services complaints in Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark

• Insurance must evolve into a forward-looking resilience strategy rather than a reactive payout mechanism to address emerging global risks, experts warn at London seminar
• Paratus chief executive Gus Majed cautions that geopolitical fragmentation since the 1970s has begun to unwind, creating systematic risk in energy markets
• Industry practitioners discuss using captive insurance structures to incubate emerging risks that might otherwise be considered uninsurable
• Growing affordability challenge highlighted in climate-exposed regions, particularly in Asia, where protection gaps are widening as risks escalate
• Guernsey's regulatory sandbox approach enables safe piloting of innovative insurance models, with jurisdiction hosting £280 billion in fund assets

• Four 2,000lb British bombs from Second World War to remain buried eight metres underground in Route Isabelle field
• Expert analysis concludes bombs unlikely to be armed and pose no threat to life
• Campaigner argues they should be dealt with and questions past actions by politicians and senior civil servants
• Bombs believed dropped from British Short Stirling Bomber after aborted raid on German naval vessel
• Decision made following extensive consultation with Ministry of Defence, NATO specialists and British Army experts

• Development and Planning Authority allows greater flexibility for replacing windows and doors in protected buildings with double-glazed timber alternatives
• Common historic window types such as six-over-six or one-over-one sash windows can be replaced on a like-for-like basis if they accurately replicate the original appearance
• Decorative, rare, ornate or intricately carved features of high heritage significance must be retained and repaired wherever possible
• Planning permission still required for all window and door replacements in protected buildings
• Property owners have welcomed the changes, with a "flurry" of applications

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Guernsey Gazette

Forest Parish is holding a meeting on 13th May 2026 to approve 2025 accounts and set 2026 rates for owners and refuse collection.

St Saviour's Constables remind Perelle Bay mooring holders to ensure they have third party insurance for their vessels.