“In quiet corners of Guernsey, the kind where butterflies drift over wild grasses and songbirds nest in the hedgerows, the silence was broken, not by birdsong, but by machinery. Bulldozers arrived without warning. Trees, hedgerows and every sign of habitat were cleared. No planning application had yet been submitted, but soon after, one appeared.” 

This is not an isolated event, indeed it is increasingly common practice. Across Guernsey, a growing number of landowners and developers are quietly clearing ecologically sensitive land before applying for planning permission. By doing so, they remove the very evidence that should trigger environmental scrutiny and public debate. It’s a quiet, cynical tactic — and it’s working. But developers, we see you. 

Undoubtedly, Guernsey faces a real housing crisis. Too many families are priced out, too many singular large and unaffordable properties are built on plots that could accommodate more, smaller and affordable units. Young people are leaving, and the pressure to build is intense. But that does not mean we must accept environmental shortcuts or the quiet erasure of our natural heritage before the community has had its say. 

Pre-emptive clearance undermines the spirit of the planning system. Environmental Impact Assessments can’t account for what has already been destroyed, and public objections lose force when the trees have already gone. Wildlife has no voice — and in many cases – no time to flee and rehabilitate. 

To the casual passer-by, these sites may look like “just a bit of scrub” or “unused land”. But those untidy patches are often biodiversity hotspots — nesting grounds, foraging areas and ecological corridors for pollinators, birds and small mammals. On a small island where wild space is increasingly rare, every patch of green matters. 

At the heart of this issue lies Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) — the principle that any new development should leave nature better off than it was before, not worse. 

Under BNG, developers are required to measure the ecological value of a site before building begins and ensure that once construction is complete, biodiversity has been measurably improved. This can mean planting more trees than were removed, restoring wetlands, or creating wildlife corridors. 

In many parts of the UK, BNG is now a legal requirement, ensuring at least a 10% biodiversity improvement that is monitored for decades. 

But in Guernsey, Biodiversity Net Gain has no legal definition or enforceable protection. While some planning permissions include conditions to plant trees or create ponds, there is no legal safeguard to prevent those features being removed later. Once the permission is granted, a pond can be filled in, a hedge cut down — and there is no consequence. Without clear legislation, pre-application clearance has become an easy and abhorrent loophole. Destroy the habitat before you apply, and there’s nothing left for the planners to measure, assess, or protect. 

If Guernsey is serious about protecting its natural environment, we need stronger, clearer systems — and the will to enforce them. 

The National Trust of Guernsey and others are calling for: 

• A ban on pre-application clearance of biodiversity-rich land. 
• Penalties for developers who destroy habitats before environmental assessments can take place. 
• A public register of pre-cleared sites to ensure transparency and accountability. 
• Biodiversity Net Gain to be defined and mandated in law, with monitoring and enforcement built in.

Then DPA President Yvonne Burford, has already pledged to bring this issue before the Development & Planning Authority to explore stronger protections for biodiversity, saying she is “grateful to the Trust for raising the matter” and that she will look for practical measures “to protect biodiversity while not creating unnecessary barriers to development.” 

This discussion comes not a moment too soon. A St Peter Port woodland was cleared ahead of a 2021 housing application — later rejected, but only after the damage was done. Similar examples continue to emerge across the island. 

This is not an argument against building homes. It’s a call for honesty and accountability — from developers, planners and all of us as buyers and Islanders. 

Before we ask about square footage and parking spaces, we should also ask: What was here before? How did this land come to be cleared? What kind of developer and ethos are we supporting with our purchase? 

Guernsey’s natural heritage is part of its identity. Every field, hedgerow and wild corner contributes to the island’s ecological and cultural richness. Once lost, it cannot be recreated. We need homes — yes. But not at any cost. Not if the price is the death of nature and the silence of birdsong. 

Because once the land is bare, it’s easy to say it was never worth saving. Which is exactly why developers are pulling a fast one and ripping up nature, unencumbered. This has to stop. It needs to be made illegal and recognised as the crime against Guernsey’s nature, that it truly is.