The Weekly Briefing from The Quarry

Dig This - a podcast for Guernsey

Can La Grande Mare be both a golf course and a nature reserve?

La Grande Mare Golf Course has been transformed in the last seven years, but what role did sustainability play in its development?

Grace Dovey (Ecologist and Ecologist & Sustainability Operations Officer) discusses the project and some of the positive impacts, including the planting of more than 1,500 trees, wetland restoration and orchid conservation.

Work is ongoing, especially now that the course is open, and community groups are also playing their part. Can the area be both a golf course and a nature reserve?

In other news...

• Three major business organisations have jointly urged the States to make a decision on tax reform proposals due for debate in July.
• A survey of more than 250 directors found only a third were confident about Guernsey's competitive position, with six in ten concerned about the island's prospects.
• More than nine in ten business leaders agreed Guernsey is at an inflexion point requiring decisive action, with government decision-making speed cited as the biggest constraint on growth.
• The organisations support the proposed 3% GST and broader tax base but raise concerns about whether the package closes the structural deficit and whether public sector savings will be delivered.
• Business leaders say any Deputy voting against the package must show how the same revenue or savings would otherwise be found, warning the island cannot afford another term of drift.

• Serenity Funeral Services granted planning permission to convert ground floor of Jamaica Hall, Le Bouet, into funeral parlour despite nine letters of objection from local residents
• Residents raised concerns about site suitability, traffic and parking issues, health and environmental risks, and appropriateness of location adjacent to Jamaica Inn pub
• Planning officer concluded proposal complies with Island Development Plan policies and that site had been unsuccessfully marketed for four years
• Permission restricted to ground floor only, non-illuminated signage, with separate applications required for mechanical equipment and any illumination
• Office of Environmental Health and Health and Safety Executive raised no objections, with noise level controls and odour assessments required for any future mechanical systems

• States collected £9.02m in fuel duty from January to May 2026, down from £9.11m in the same period in 2025
• May 2026 recorded lowest monthly collection at £1.66m, down from £2.00m in May 2025
• March 2026 saw highest monthly intake at £2.06m, up from £1.85m in March 2025
• When adjusted for inflation, 2026 collections lag behind recent years, with 2022 generating equivalent of £9.78m
• Data released following freedom of information request submitted in June 2026

• Guernsey, Poole and Cherbourg will linked with a new triangular schedule from November
• Company said opening Guernsey to the freight hub of Cherbourg promises new trade partnerships and opportunities
• The ferry operator faces a €27 million EU Emission Trading System bill in 2026, despite investing in five new vessels in five years
• Half of a Covid-19 emergency loan has been repaid, but the remaining debt continues to impact the company's finances
• Brittany Ferries will close its Poole to Cherbourg route in November and sell the ship Barfleur, replacing it with a Portsmouth to Cherbourg service.

• Year 7 entry numbers in state-maintained secondary schools projected to fall from 459 in 2026 to 400 in 2030, a 13% decline
• All three state-maintained secondary schools face declining Year 7 intakes over the next five years, with sharpest drop between 2027 and 2028
• Average 17% of Year 6 pupils historically move to specialist schools, grant-aided colleges or home education rather than state secondaries
• Les Varendes High School absorbed La Mare de Carteret pupils, growing from 614 to 775 students between 2024 and 2025
• Overall secondary school population rose to 2,430 pupils in November 2025, up from 2,292 in 2024

• A new acoustic pod has been installed at Little Buttons Preschool to support deaf children by reducing background noise
• The initiative resulted from joint working between the States Early Years Team and the Sensory Support Service
• Funding was provided by the Guernsey Deaf Children's Society to enable the dedicated learning environment
• The pod reduces ambient noise levels and accommodates adults standing for one-to-one and small group sessions
• It has been gifted to the States Early Years Team and can be moved to other preschools and nurseries across Guernsey when needed

• HSC and Health Connections have agreed a three-and-a-half-year service level agreement to deliver community transport services from July 2026 to December 2029
• HSC will provide £88,000 per year to fund transport coordinators and volunteer driver mileage expenses
• The service prioritises people unable to reach medical appointments or social prescribing activities through other means
• Health Connections delivered over 3,000 journeys in the first six months of 2026 using volunteer drivers
• The agreement will support development of a wider island-wide community transport strategy involving charitable sector and States partners

• Triplets Emilie, Hollie and Millie Jeffreys become first Guernsey players to join York City FC's Player Development Programme
• The sixteen-year-olds will relocate to York in July to study BTEC Sport and train with York City's female pathway teams
• Sisters began with Guernsey FA's Wildcats programme in Year 3 and progressed through the Mourant Academy
• Placement marks first outcome of year-long partnership between Guernsey FA and York City FC
• Sisters will made senior representative debut for Guernsey in Cherry Godfrey Cup this weekend before moving

• Guernsey Post launching "Protect Our Posties. Protect Your Pets" campaign from Monday to reduce dog bite incidents
• Postal workers experience average of two dog bite incidents per month, often requiring hospital treatment
• Every household will receive information leaflet, supported by social media video
• Campaign asks residents to secure dogs before opening door to postal workers
• Initiative aims to protect both postal workers and pets through simple routine changes

• Scrutiny Management Committee will hold public hearing on tax reform proposals on 6th July 2026
• Hearing takes place at Castel Douzaine Room from 10:00 to 12:00, with live streaming available
• Panel comprises Deputy Andy Sloan (chair), Deputy Liam McKenna and Deputy Haley Camp
• Public requests prompted scrutiny amid concerns over short review period before States debate
• Hearing aims to examine evidence, test assumptions and improve understanding of proposals

• Eight out of fifteen key building products in Guernsey cost at least double UK prices, according to a major study by the Guernsey Competition and Regulatory Authority.
• Ronez operates as a de facto monopolist for ready-mix concrete, the only supplier on the island, with profits 5-10 percentage points above its cost of capital over three years.
• Ready-mix concrete unit profits grew 60-70% between 2021-2024 while prices rose 37%, though the regulator found no breach of competition law on excessive pricing.
• The GCRA recommends increased transparency, including published pricing data and separate itemisation of concrete costs in government contracts worth an average £35m annually.
• Proposed solutions include mobile batching plants for large projects, streamlined worker permits, temporary accommodation for off-island workers, and open-book procurement for public works.

• Guernsey Post to release six-stamp set celebrating Bonne Terre Watermill on 7 July 2026
• The watermill pre-dates 1792 and served Alderney farmers for generations before ceasing operation in 1911
• The Alderney Society received the mill as a gift in 1972 and restoration efforts intensified in the 1990s
• Water power was successfully returned to the mill in 2025, allowing the waterwheel to turn again
• Stamps depict historical scenes including farmers bringing corn by horse and cart and the rebuilding of machinery

• Site investigations will take place on The Bridge in early July to inform the design of a proposed flood defence
• Ground penetrating radar survey scheduled for 2–3 July, with bore holes and trial holes from 6–10 July
• Some parking will be suspended and pavements closed for limited periods during the works
• The flood defence is needed to support housing development and protect existing homes and businesses from sea level rise
• The investigations aim to reduce the risk of costly issues emerging later in the construction process

This week's audio briefing

The Weekly Briefing from The Quarry

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Guernsey Gazette

Second Meridian Brew Co Ltd is applying for a Category 'I' liquor licence for premises in St Martin.

Hutch Limited is applying for a liquor licence and under-18s permit for Players nightclub at 2 Le Truchot, St Peter Port.

St Andrew's Parish is holding an election on 16 July 2026 to fill two Douzenier positions with terms ending in December 2026 and 2027.

GFSC notices

Commission registers Guernsey’s first dual-designated sustainable fund

Appointment of new Commissioner