Office space plans for Admiral Park 'is good for Guernsey'
MONEY earned in Guernsey, used in Guernsey and spent in Guernsey is nothing but good for Guernsey, the president of Economic Development has said.
Neil Inder was speaking after plans for a £40m. development at Admiral Park were unveiled and the 100-bedroom Premier Inn build was reportedly on track for completion at the end of this year.
Rihoy & Son's £30m.–plus Premier Inn project had a two-year time-frame build that includes a 100-bedroom hotel with restaurant, 120-cover cafe, 30,000sq. ft of offices and a 370-space multi-storey car park.
Despite Covid interrupting work on two occasions, leading to eight weeks off-site, the target completion date still looks to be achievable. While Comprop builds the development, it has also submitted plans for a 66,500sq. ft, six-storey landmark building to be built alongside it.
Deputy Inder said that these were really good news stories and the developer and architect clearly knew what they could do with the available space. ‘Admiral Park has been identified as a place for office space and I can’t see anything in the latest plans that would stop Planning stamping this through fairly quickly,’ he said.
‘And the quicker [planners] do this, the better it is for Guernsey.’
Calling Planning an ‘essential’ part of the Bailiwick’s Revive and Thrive strategy, Deputy Inder said the more money that was circulating locally, the better.
‘Whether that’s money that is spent in Guernsey, earned in Guernsey or used in Guernsey, it’s good for Guernsey. That is why Economic Development is passionate about the localisation scheme.’
The scheme aims to get more local companies contracted to work for the States.
The States spends about £200m. a year on suppliers and other providers, of which just less than 60% is spent locally. Deputy Inder said a pound spent in Guernsey benefitted the island and he was optimistic about how the economy would reap the rewards of these projects at Admiral Park.
