Not as much housing in revised Leale’s Yard plan
HOUSING has been scaled back in the latest set of plans for Leale’s Yard which should be submitted within months.
In a wide ranging interview with the Guernsey Press, Channel Island Co-op CEO Mark Cox confirmed that it is ready to press ahead as it waits to hear whether there will be any financial support from the States to help realise the project.
In July 2019, the States asked Policy & Resources to report back the following April on what the options were – that has been delayed.
In relation to Leale’s Yard, which the Co-op owns, Mr Cox said the latest set of plans offered a great opportunity.
‘We’re working hard with government to understand how we can realise that opportunity. That will be significant investment from the Co-operative in Guernsey and we would be absolutely delighted if we can pull off some sort of development on Leale’s Yard.’
He continued: ‘We’ve got the draft plans in place now and we’ve had some really useful discussions with the planning department. So we’re confident that if we submit those plans then we’ll be in a good place. We would expect some time in the first quarter next year, we’ll be able to submit plans for the development of Leale’s Yard.
‘But it does need a debate from the States. They’re committed to taking this back and debating if there is any support that government can provide. We’re keen to work with them to be able to realise that this is significant opportunity for the island.’
He added: ‘It’s residential, retail and some commercial. So it’s a nice balance to the site, we think we’ve got the density right. There isn’t as much housing as the previous scheme that received planning permission. Working with the development framework that was agreed last year, there is a lot of open space and a new civic square and lots of green space in the centre.’
In June the Development & Planning Authority approved a development framework which broadly sets out how the site could be developed.
The 2016 planning permission was for just over 400 homes, many of which were flats. The latest framework suggests it can take between 50 and 350 homes.
