‘We were told it was green land and couldn’t be built on’
BRAYE ROAD residents whose home is next to a green field on sale as freehold industrial land were wrongly told that the land could not be developed.
The field is owned by the Guiton Group, the parent company of the Guernsey Press, and is an area of 29,000sq. ft between the GP headquarters and Braye Road.
It is zoned as a key industrial area under the new Island Development Plan, which was approved in 2016.
With this, and plans to develop new flats and homes on an adjoining site owned by a developer, one couple who live nearby are looking to leave the island.
Marion Pommier said: ‘We are against developments here, there is too much.
‘We are trying to sell up, as we are sick of all the building work and are now trying to move to Spain.
‘If it is going to be industrial then at least make it smaller for little business. Or keeping it as a green space would be nice.’
Jason and Sarah Flouquet’s home backs onto the site, but they were not overly worried about development there.
They were more concerned about what might happen on land across the narrow track next door to them, which recently had plans rejected for two flats and three dwellings.
‘For light industrial use, I’m not overly concerned,’ said Mr Flouquet, ‘although obviously that depends what it is.’
The land has no planning permission at present, although artwork with the advert indicated it might be suitable for garages.
Mr Flouquet thought making it a site for self-storage could work.
Mrs Flouquet said that when the couple bought the house some two years ago, they were told the land behind them was horticultural, and neighbour Katrina Proudlove said she and her husband were told the same thing nine years earlier.
‘We were told nothing would be able to be built there. We were told it was green land and couldn’t be built on.’
She was not particularly happy at the site being developed. ‘But like everything else in Guernsey, it’s out of your control,’ she said.
But Mrs Proudlove added that she was a lot more worried about the potential development directly opposite Braye Road Garage, in particular what impact changes could make if the small track became a busy access road.
Access to the site being sold by Guiton is going to be ‘via land to the south and then via Braye Road Estate’.
Guiton Publishing group managing director Paul Carter said: ‘The Guernsey Press invested a significant amount of time and money in redeveloping this site at a time when this area was destined to become a larger industrial estate and technical park.
‘Not so long ago this plot of land was earmarked for additional parking to serve the expanded site and the increase in traffic around the estate, but over the years it has become clear that the wider development is unlikely to unfold as it was first envisaged and therefore this additional parking is no longer required.
‘With such an acute shortage of industrial units it seems to make sense to introduce this plot to interested parties for potential development to utilise this vacant plot and maintain a vibrant trading area.’
Offers in excess of £600,000 have been invited by 1 March.
