Call for meaningful protection for Guernsey's mature trees

Tuesday, 10 November 2026 at 07:05

By Euan Mahy

'Deep concern' over how little the law can protect Guernsey's wooded environment.

The charity Guernsey Trees for Life has written a strongly worded letter to all deputies calling for meaningful legal protection for the island's treescape.

It wants proper enforcement if a landowner tries to take down trees or hedges of environmental and ecological importance:

"Under Section 42 of the Land Planning and Development (Guernsey) Law, 2005, the States of Guernsey is bound by a clear statutory duty to protect existing trees and actively encourage new planting when exercising its planning functions.

"In practice, however, this mandate remains largely unenforced and ineffective, leaving our tree cover vulnerable and unprotected."

Colin Dodd from the charity says currently there is little that anyone can do if mature trees are felled on a building plot or private land:

"A small minority buy a site and totally clear it and then apply for planning permission.

"Then they can tick the box that says 'no environmental damage or trees will be removed in this process' because they've already done it."

Colin says disease, violent storms and the built up nature of the island put extreme pressure on Guernsey's trees, yet they are vital to the health of wildlife and the wider environment.

"We're planting a lot of trees but they're obviously tiny, so we're looking to the future on that.

"We just want to try to protect what we have left in Guernsey."

Mr Dodd says the feedback from the presidents of the Environment and Planning committees is positive:

"I've already had responses from Neil Inder and Adrian Gabriel, who are the key players in this, and they're supportive.

"In fact most people are."