Guernsey Press

Two-storey extension with rooftop garden

A TWO-STOREY extension and rooftop garden will be created at a Castel surgery within two years, after planners granted permission.

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Plans have been submitted to expand L'Aumone surgery. (25637682)

St Damian Limited has been granted permission to transform the L’Aumone Surgery and Pharmacy, improve patients’ access to the site and create more services.

CCD Architects drew up plans for the build. A spokeswoman said she was delighted with the news, which comes 14 months after the plans were first submitted.

‘The project will provide vastly improved facilities for the local community, and has attracted a wide range of support from neighbours, patients and the local community,’ she said.

‘We are very much looking forward to working with the doctors and directors to bring the project to completion.

‘We anticipate construction work beginning on site in about eight months’ time, with the building taking about two years for all phases to be completed.’

The project will see four more consultation rooms created, with a rooftop garden and a glazed link to the existing building – tripling the size of the existing surgery.

There will also be a 50% increase in parking spaces from 41 to 60, and vehicle and pedestrian access will be changed, with new access from Route de Cobo and the current Clos Courtil Simon vehicle access changed to pedestrian.

There were six objections to the plans, with reasons including the loss of privacy to residents’ properties and the impact on residents access to driveways on the main road.

Plans had been rejected in 1995, which had been due to the impact it would make on traffic, as well as again in 1997.

Details within the planning report state there were no objections to the application from Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation or the constables, with Traffic & Highway Services stating that the change of access would improve road safety and traffic management in the area, moving away from being close to the Courtil Simon Lane junction.

Health & Social Care approved the plans and agreed that the current site was no longer fit for purpose with many of the spaces too small for service users, while expansion of the services on offer would cater for users with disabilities and those with increasing frailties and multiple health conditions as more people live longer.