Derelict hotels could be housing with no red tape
DERELICT hotels could be turned into housing without needing to go through the planning process, under proposals by the Development & Planning Authority.
L'Eree Bay Hotel, Idlerocks Hotel and Hotel Bon Port are among the 10 tourism properties that would benefit from the two-year exemption – if the States approves.
But while the DPA’s plans have pleased some of the sites’ owners, local tourism representatives are concerned at the implications.
The DPA wants selected former hotels, bed and breakfasts and self-catering sites to be allowed to change from visitor accommodation to residential.
However the exemption would be in place for only two years from when the exemption document is enacted. Any physical changes would still require planning permission.
Some of the sites have been dormant for many years, writes the DPA in its report.
‘The primary aim of the exemption is to enable a select group of long-standing in effect redundant and derelict sites with no prospect of being developed as visitor accommodation, and that no longer add value to the tourism industry, to be brought back into use for an economic or social positive gain.’
Any plans submitted would need approval with regard to their impact on highway safety and neighbourhood amenity.
If the plans were refused, there would be a right of appeal.
Idlerocks, Forest Park (formerly St Margaret’s Lodge), L’Eree Bay, Bon Port and Sunnydene Hotels are named.
Permission for the redevelopment of Idlerocks as a 35-bed hotel plus a three-bedroom dwelling was granted in 2018 and renewed in December last year.
Owner Ramle Rocks had three years from that date to start work.
Architect Lovell Ozanne and Partners acts for the owners.
‘We welcome the initiative taken by the DPA,’ said the company’s Andrew Ozanne. ‘You can expect a proactive response.’
Speaking personally, he said the DPA’s proposals were very positive.
‘It shows that planning is probably for the first time more responsive to the island’s needs.’
L’Eree Bay Hotel closed for good in June 2020 after an investigation by its owner, property developer the RED Fund, into upgrading the hotel concluded that it was financially unviable.
‘We continue to explore a number of options for the future use of the L’Eree Bay Hotel site,’ said a RED Fund spokesman.
There are two bed and breakfast businesses in the list – La Roche and Les Rouvets Farm in St Saviour’s, plus three sites that offered self-catering – Wisteria, Mille Fleurs and La Brigade Farm.
Wisteria self-catering in King’s Mills has two permanent units and five that were used just during the summer.
Owner Linda Letten put in an application to change the use of the permanent units to ancillary accommodation in April 2019 and the application is still pending.
‘I would be delighted,’ she said of the chance to have this approved.
‘I’ve been in tourism for the last 40 years and I simply want to make life a little bit easier for myself.’
La Brigade Farm is a protected building and was granted change of use in August for one unit of self-catering tourist accommodation to part of the residential dwelling.
While Mille Fleurs is listed, according to the State’s planning website permission was given in June this year for the owner to demolish the three self-catering units and for the land to be changed to domestic garden.
A DPA spokesman said that this permission did not mean a demolition had to take place, and the inclusion of the site on the list gave the owners more options for its future.
Les Rouvets Farm ceased to be regarded as visitor accommodation when it was sold to its current owners, the Guernsey Press understands.
Plans for the exemptions were discussed with Economic Development and it was after these talks that it was agreed to draw up a shortlist of sites to which the exemption would apply, said the report.
However, the Guernsey Hospitality Association said it was worried that more properties could be added to the list in the future.
‘At the moment it is difficult to be confident about future investment in the hospitality/tourism industry when we have no idea of any strategy that Economic Development/VisitGuernsey might have for next year, let alone the next 10 years,’ said president Alan Sillett.
‘Without a clear strategy and no target number for visitors, the GHA fears there may be further properties added to the list of the current ones looking for change of use.’
