Former farmer Peter Falla, 83, made a representation to the inquiry yesterday suggesting more land reclamation for landfill and calling on the States to look ahead more. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0722158)

THE views of 83-year-old former farmer Peter Falla dominated the first morning of the planning inquiry into the future use of reclaimed land at Longue Hougue.

He told it that taking more land there to use as landfill would be far cheaper than building an incinerator. Mr Falla said Guernsey needed to think ahead more.

‘I wrote to The Guernsey Press in 1948 saying that North Beach should be reclaimed, but it was 30 years before they did it,’ he said.

About 15 years ago, the island imported stone from France to build a breakwater at Longue Hougue so that many thousands of tonnes of solid waste could be diverted there from Mont Cuet.

‘Less than £10m. spent on a containment area of land reclaimed from the sea would be preferable to £80m. to £100m. spent on an incinerator,’ said Mr Falla.

‘Remember, an incinerator will have smoke, ash and residue to dispose of on a site close to the island’s bulk oil storage tanks.’