Land returned to charity after more than 30 years

Charity bosses said they needed to take a "deep breath" before deciding what to do with land which has been returned to them after more than 30 years.

The National Trust of Guernsey said it had secured land at Crève Coeur on the island's north coast.

A five-year lease started in September 1995 to allow the States of Guernsey to use fields owned by the trust as an emergency landfill, but despite this not being extended, talks to return the area to the charity came up against several issues.

Trust president Mike Brown said he was "extremely pleased" to have the land back but no decisions had been made about what it would be used for.

Under the original lease, which had an annual nominal rent of £1, the States agreed to restore and reseed the land once the agreement had expired.

Arrangements were also discussed for the transfer of additional States-owned land to the trust for £1.

However, the trust said the process became complicated with matters including proposals for green-waste facilities and questions about surrounding boundaries causing delays.

Brown said wildlife at the site, which is fenced off, had been able to thrive in the fields while the negotiations continued.

He said the site would be the biggest owned by the trust, but it was uncertain whether it would be opened to the public.

"What we're going to do is take a deep breath and sit down and think about what we should do with it," Brown added.

"This site has been fenced off for 30 years and therefore the wildlife is superb.

"We have ground nesting birds and we want to make sure that what we do is the right thing for the site, the right thing for nature and the wildlife and the right thing for islanders."

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