Jersey community group bids for forest school

Sheena Brockie is encouraging people to comment on plans

Plans to build a new forest school in St Helier have been submitted by a Jersey community group.

If it gets the go-ahead, it would be part of the expansion proposed by GROW Jersey community project.

The group has been helping people from different backgrounds learn more about nature by planting and growing at its field near Surville Cemetery.

It has put in plans for a community building with solar panels, a wildlife pond and two polytunnels.

A forest school would be an educational area for pupils who do not normally have access to wildlife areas, project leaders said.

'Provide food'

Co-founder Sheena Brockie said: "We want to be a facility that can host school children, community groups, vulnerable adults in a more meaningful way and we want to expand for that.

"With our smallholding licence that we have, now we can deliver on our aim of providing food for people struggling with food poverty.

"A forest school would let us have an educational space where children from schools without access to wildlife can learn about the climate crisis, biodiversity and anything to do with being sustainable."

GROW Jersey has been running for two years on its smallholding licence with St Helier Parish Council.

The planning application would let the group build on land in a field that is not currently being used.

Ms Brockie said it was important for people to share their views on the plans.

She said: "We're already getting responses. All our plans are on the planning portal and you can see what we plan on doing.

"It's important to hear from people who've been to GROW Jersey about what they've got from coming here.

"I'm expecting there will be some concerns, and I think that's right and this is the place to raise those concerns."