Guernsey Press

Land on former prison site is sold for combined £1.3m.

TWO areas of land on the site of the former prison, one of which was turned down by the Guernsey Housing Association as a site for affordable housing site because of planning constraints, have been sold by the States for a combined £1.3m.

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Property Services general manager David Parish on the land on the former prison site which the States has sold for a combined total of £1.3m. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 21783163)

The land in Rue Marguerite has been sold separately to different buyers.

Property Services general manager David Parish said his department had undertaken ‘a considerable amount of work’ exploring potential options for the larger of the two sites, which is located at the junction of St James’ Street and College Street and had been leased temporarily for car parking while long-term options were investigated.

It was offered to the GHA. However, the location ‘imposed planning constraints that meant it was not viable for this purpose’.

Once further options for residential developments had been explored without success, the decision was taken to move the site on and invest the proceeds in other projects.

‘The decision was made to sell the two land parcels, and local commercial property agents were invited to express an interest in marketing them,’ said Mr Parish.

‘We subsequently appointed Savills in August last year.’

Earlier this month, the States agreed proposals to review the ways in which its property portfolio is managed.

Mr Parish said that would involve a far-reaching look at the whole estate, and the way this is structured in the future.

‘We have a very large property portfolio and that requires ongoing management and maintenance while the wider review is being carried out,’ he said.

‘It includes a number of sites that have already been identified as surplus to requirement and not of use to other committees or service areas, but in order to realise best value for the States of Guernsey planning development frameworks are being prepared.

‘The States is not in the business of property development. We therefore have to look to release sites into the private sector to realise their potential for the local economy.

‘These two land parcels at Rue Marguerite are a prime example of that, and their sale has realised a capital return to the States of £1.3m. towards other projects.

‘At the same time they now present a significant opportunity for the construction industry initially and for business in the longer term.’

The smaller site, a triangular, planted area close to the larger land parcel, has been sold for £200,000.

It is also within the former prison, but, unlike the larger land parcel, it has not been levelled.

The majority of the larger site was purchased from Mansell Lefebvre in 1953, while other parts had been purchased in 1807 from William Le Marchant, George Lefebvre and Robert Le Marchant.

It has been earmarked for development for more than a decade, following the demolition of the former prison to make way for the construction of the Royal Court building.