Floating restaurant plan for QEII Marina given green light
A FLOATING restaurant could be opening next Easter in the QE2 Marina, after planning permission for the project was granted.
Township Holdings Limited was given the green light for the proposals.
The site comprises an area of the careening hard in the south-west corner of the QEII Marina and adjacent to the Petanque Terrains at North Beach.
Jon Wilson, from the company, said they were very pleased with the news.
‘It would be nice to have it open by Easter next year,’ he said.
‘For the most part people have been very supportive of the plans.’
The planning report revealed that the parish constables had no concerns about the plans and Guernsey Ports described the proposal as a ‘valuable addition to a currently underutilised area of the harbour’. The latter did note that the Guernsey Yacht Club commodore did raise concerns about the loss of boat drying out facilities. But Guernsey Ports said the area was not heavily utilised and there were alternative facilities available nearby.
There were 17 representations made, which mostly raised concerns about noise, pollution and the vessel detracting from the area.
The planners have put restrictions on the vessel, meaning the public can access it only between 8am and 11pm Monday to Friday, 10am to midnight on Saturdays and 10am to 10pm on Sundays to reduce nuisance to neighbours.
Mr Wilson said they planned to keep the area clean and tidy, and that this would also be in the interests of the business, as the area should look attractive to draw in customers.
The vessel is currently in the Thames and would need to be towed over to Guernsey during calm weather. Mr Wilson said with the right weather window this could happen over the winter. There also needs to be conversations with Geomarine to get the area ready for the vessel and the boat itself needs to be refitted for its new use.
But Mr Wilson was hopeful that this work can take place over the next six months.
If the floating restaurant was to leave or close, the planning application is conditional on the vessel, gangways, service gantry, piles and aggregate and rock armour bed being removed and the careening hard being restored to its former condition within six months.
