States has an eye on £7m. deal for Nelson

The sale of Nelson Place, home of the Town post office, could earn the States £6m. to £7m. The House also approved the sale of Belvedere House in Fort George, and the Vale Mill. The former could go on the market early next year. It agreed last month that the property could be sold on the open market.

Expressions of interest from estate agents for marketing all or some of the buildings will be advertised in tomorrow's Guernsey Press and it is hoped that properties could be on the market by February.

'Unsurprisingly, there has been a lot of interest from estate agents from day one and this process makes it fair to everyone,' said Treasury and Resources Department board member Deputy Jack Honeybill.

'There are experts out there who can help us with these prestigious sales and their experience will be invaluable.'

States Property Services, an arm of the Treasury, has written to the Environment Department to confirm the planning-use class for all three properties.

Proceeds from the sales will be used to help deliver priority capital-projects during the life of the next States.

Deputy Honeybill said he was unsure of the sums that Belvedere and the Vale Mill could achieve.

Nelson Place could make £6m. to £7m. if compared to prices which similar properties had achieved.

Property Services is hoping that it can be changed to a mixture of retail and office space. There is currently 20,000sq. ft of office space with the potential to create more.

Deputy Honeybill said he understood that one or two law firms were showing an interest in the property, though no formal approaches had been made.

Belvedere House will be marketed internationally and in major property magazines.

It is currently divided into two flats and one semi-detached unit.

The flats have been unoccupied for some time and the semi-detached unit became vacant following the recent death of the tenant, Captain Michael Mellish.

The States also agreed that the building could be sold as one unit.

Previously, because the property was States-owned, people did not require a housing licence to live there.