Landowner threatens to claim independence over planning fee
THE SELF-APPOINTED King of Guernsey’s first ‘micronation’ has said that he will celebrate the country’s independence day on 1 July unless he hears from Planning about erecting a residential property on his land in the Castel.
Maintenance worker Steve Ogier bought the 150ftx48ft stretch of land containing two bunkers, now named Everland (after his daughter Evelyn), for storage purposes in 2011.
Currently living in temporary accommodation, Mr Ogier made a pre-application enquiry with Planning at the beginning of the year about creating a one-storey building on the land to house himself and his daughter.
He was told any application would mean ‘saying goodbye’ to the application fee.
In retaliation and to highlight what he sees as a needless bureaucracy from the States, Mr Ogier said he realised from research carried out on the internet that he could declare himself a nation because he has permanent subjects on Everland, himself and 10 earthworms.
‘It is comical but it could have very serious consequences,’ he said.
In the past, micro nations have been formed for a variety of reasons the world over.
In 1977 squatters in Freston Road West London declared independence as the nation of Frestonia eventually managing to set up a housing co-op with help from Notting Hill council.
Trinidad was formed in 1893 when an American James Harden-Hickey claimed the then uninhabited island and declared himself James I, Prince of Trinidad, however, Brazilians later made a successful counter-claim.
Having ‘claimed’ Everland by posting on Facebook and talking to the media, Mr Ogier said should he come to live on the land any services such as gas and electric needed in order to make the home hospitable could be arranged on an ‘import and export’ basis.
He would also continue to pay taxes to the States but would refer to them as a ‘tribute’ to his neighbouring nation.
Lawmaking and the future management of Everland including whether or not Mr Ogier decides to build there will depend on whether or not his concerns about land ownership are heard.
‘It will be my own country so I will have my own laws, there won’t be a seatbelt law for a start.
‘It was sold to me because the owner said he had no use for it so it isn’t rural land. [The States] are building on prime conservation land, I just want a home on my land,’ he said.
