Planners approve Route Militaire site for housing
CONCERNS over traffic, overly-dense housing development and the loss of open space have been raised, but a development framework opening the door for housing on a Route Militaire site has been approved.
The framework aims to show what the planners would be looking for in an application for the Le Four Banal site, which sits to the east of Route Militaire and backs onto the Saltpans.
The site is also currently under the ownership of seven different individuals, so it is hoped the framework would help deter a piecemeal development.
It is estimated that there could be between 25 and 35 houses per hectare on the 0.95 hectare site, although this could vary depending on the proposed design.
The framework notes that the current access is very tight and changes would be needed.
‘The existing access point is restricted in terms of its overall width and the granite walls on either side that restrict visibility,’ the framework states.
‘There is opportunity to increase the size and improve the access point by including the residential property to the south, Grove Cottage.
‘There is also an opportunity for an additional access point linking to the Saltpans Key Industrial Area access road to the north.’
A four-week public consultation was held on the framework and a number of responses to the draft were received from a range of consultees, including States committees, agencies and the public.
These raised an array of concerns, which were considered by the authority before the final framework was approved.
Amendments to the document were made in response to comments from Traffic & Highway Services, the Archaeology Service, Guernsey Water and La Societe Guernesiaise.
Public feedback also prompted changes in respect of affordable housing requirements. If there are 20 or more properties created on the site, then some would have to be for affordable housing.
A statement about the framework from the Planning Service noted that of the 131 permissions granted last year, just 79 have been completed.
‘This shows where permissions have been granted and that the number of completions is consistently lower than the number of houses that are approved,’ the statement said.
. The framework can be viewed at https://gov.gg/developmentframeworks.
