Guernsey Press

Print firm seeks permission to turn works into housing

A PRINTING business which has been operating for 62 years has applied for a change of use for its premises as a result of the ‘sad reality’ of the diminishing use of print.

Published
Melody Press is seeking permission to demolish its printing works and paper store at L’Islet so that four houses can be built there. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 23138113)

Plans have been submitted to demolish Melody Press’s premises at L’Islet and erect four three-bedroom detached dwellings up to two storeys.

The business once comprised two separate buildings, one of which housed the company advertising agency until its closure in the late 1990s.

In its heyday the company employed 30 staff across both sites, but it now operates on a small scale from one of the buildings.

A letter written by the chief executive of Melody Group Ltd, Adrian Tostevin, in April 2017 accompanied the application, which includes a brief history of the business.

‘As it stands today there are only eight full-time and two part-time staff based at these premises.

‘The enormous shift in staff numbers, use of new types of equipment and changes in work flow mean that we would definitely not choose to operate from premises such as these if we were starting up the business today.

‘The building is of generally poor quality and the costs involved in upgrading it to anything approaching modern standards would be prohibitive.

‘It is a sad reality that globally the demand for print is diminishing as electronic media continues to replace the printed word,’ he said.

The business will seek to relocate soon to premises which better suit its needs.

‘Indeed, in the last six months we have seen two members relocate to the UK but continue to provide services to us via remote computer access and there is no reason why several others in the existing small team couldn’t do the same,’ he said.

The original one-storey building was built in the 1950s and the two-storey paper store facility was built in the 1980s.

Plans submitted by Direct Architectural Solutions Ltd on behalf of the business show gardens and parking for each dwelling.

Mr Tostevin said it was a positive move for the business.

‘If we can turn it into something a bit more attractive, I think it’s a positive and the neighbours will probably prefer it too,’ he said.