Pointues Rocques development decision is expected this year

A group of landowners applied to build 68 properties on the former glasshouse site at Pointues Rocques, as part of the first phase of work to develop the site.

The original 2017 application for 83 properties on the site became a lightning rod for discontent over perceived over-development of the north of the island.

That application is still undecided, but another application was submitted in 2019, which detailed proposals for 33 dwellings, 22 flats and 13 affordable houses.

Architects PF&A have been handling the application.

Group director Alex Whitmore said the project had presented some challenges.

‘Because of the time that has passed, the affordable housing requirement has gone up, so we are just trying to work that out,’ he said.

‘We have made very good progress recently.’

He expected the scheme to have more than the previously-requested 13 affordable homes, but exact details are being worked out with the Guernsey Housing Association.

This is due to the Island Development Plan requiring a certain amount of affordable housing on large sites.

This was introduced in a phased approach from 2016, but now requires any development with 30 or more dwellings to have affordable housing on 30% of the developable part of the site.

Mr Whitmore said the teething problems around implementing this new policy – which has been needed in few developments so far – had caused delays, but progress was being made.

Guernsey Housing Association chief executive Steve Williams confirmed the association had been working closely with the developers.

While the application was being tweaked, Mr Whitmore said no large changes were being made, so he did not expect it to need to go back out to consultation, which would take more time.

He hoped that once phase one was progressed, an application for phase two would likely follow, but that was unlikely to be this year.

He was hopeful that might move more smoothly through the planning process than phase one.

He said that despite all the delays, the applicants – Mr R Plumley, Messrs Gabriels, Asparagus Tips Too Ltd & GHA – were all still committed to moving forward with the scheme.

‘This site will have a lovely community feel and we are pleased with the design,’ Mr Whitmore said.

‘There is lots of community space.’

The site has a development framework, which details how if there are two and three-story buildings, there could be between 75 and 125 houses created on the site.

The framework also notes that the transitional arrangements in relation to affordable housing provision on large sites ended in October 2019, a few months after the most recent application was submitted.