States selling Delisles Methodist Church
DELISLES Methodist Church, which was bought by the States for £1m. in 2019, is being put back up for sale.
It is one of a number of States properties that have lain dormant for some time, and are considered excess to requirements.
Education, Sport & Culture purchased Delisles Church and its surrounding land next to Les Beaucamps High School after the two-school model was approved by the States.
The vision was that it would create extra space for the new de Saumarez College, but the whole transformation project was effectively scrapped when, several months after the purchase, the States voted to ‘pause and review’.
Also on the list of empty properties to sell off is Sunnybrook near Cobo which has been empty since 2016, and Hayward House in St Martin’s, expected to sell for about £500,000 and described on an estate agent’s website as ‘in need of renovation’.
Longer term there are other buildings that need to be vacated of staff before they can be sold.
That list includes Lukis House, Swissville, Garden Hill, the Castel Hospital, and the King Edward VII Hospital.
Matt Brouard from Cooper Brouard estate agents said it was a logical move for the States.
‘From the market’s point of view there is a strong demand for development opportunities across the board,’ he said.
‘And it’s understandable for the States to rationalise the properties they own, keeping and using the ones they need, and not hold onto property that is not being used and is a drain on resources, so all of that makes perfect sense.
‘I’m aware of the some of the properties they are offering and they may represent an interest to developers to provide housing, which the island is keen to increase the stock of.
‘And I’m a big fan of reusing existing built environments to protect the green areas that we enjoy.
‘We all hope the States will have a better long-term plan to supply more housing in the right areas.
'There is demand for one up to four and five-bedroom houses. Clearly the greatest demand is lower down in the size range, but I think most developers and people in the commercial markets don’t want to preclude some larger houses.’
The standout property on the list is the former Delisles Methodist church, and Mr Brouard used to attend on Sundays as a boy.
He said there was a good track record for such buildings to become housing or have new community uses.
‘We’ve sold several churches over recent years as developments, and Delisles is a lovely big building, the amenity around it for parking is quite limited, but I’m sure it would make an interesting development whether it’s multiple units or even one large unit.
‘We have sold church buildings that have become other things, the new Galaad chapel now has a climbing wall in it and has more of a community type use, as is the Salem chapel at L’Islet which has been turned into an art gallery and picture framers.’