High planning fees could discourage owners of disused greenhouse sites from using them for renewable energy, the architectural technologist behind the successful Fresh Guernsey Herbs solar farm application has said.

Those involved in the project were shocked to see the cost of their planning application leap from the £4,000 they expected when they started the process in 2022 to £22,000 when it came to making the application.

Tom Bourgaize from the Drawing Room has been working on the unusual project, which could see rows of solar panels placed on the greenhouse site in Les Abreuveurs Road.

‘The fees were reviewed mid-application, so we submitted it with the £4,000 fee,’ he said. ‘But some procedural matters with the application meant it was not registered until the fees increased, so they asked for the difference to take it up to £22,000. Fortunately, our clients were not put off by this, but we are concerned this could deter glasshouse owners from this type of renewable energy project.’

Read more at Guernsey Press