£8m. development is planned for E&G site

But the former pub and a protected sweet chestnut tree would both be lost under the scheme.

An application has been submitted for a block of seven terraced houses at the back of the Bridge site and then a block of 12 apartments on the South Side roadside. Between them would be a parking area, covered by a communal area.

The design has a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom dwellings, and is estimated to be able to house 35 to 45 people when completed.

The Havard Group of Companies is the developer of the site.

In a letter to planners, it said the redevelopment would benefit the community.

‘We intend to produce a development that can be considered spectacular.

'It will raise the Bridge’s profile from a residential perspective and may also encourage other future development in St Sampson’s,’ they wrote.

‘This area lacks people movement and is overly dominated by the car.

‘To achieve activity on what is a harbour-side development, you need people to live there, and ideally right next to it.

‘There are very few opportunity sites within the Bridge to achieve that, and this site can.

‘This will achieve vitality and viability to the site, the wider Bridge area and the Guernsey market as a whole.’

The company bought the site for £900,000 in 2019 and estimated it would spend about £8m. redeveloping it, with most of that being spent locally.

There are two protected trees within the site.

The 2019 development framework from planning said the large, mature evergreen oak within the car park was in good condition.

The sweet chestnut further back in the site is a very old tree.

The crown has suffered from dieback in the past, but framework noted the veteran tree had historical significance.

The framework also noted that the 19th century house that makes up the central building of the English & Guernsey Arms makes an important contribution to the character of the conservation area.

The oak would be kept under the plans and a petanque court would be built nearby.

‘The oak has real character and [we] will endeavour to provide circular seating around the base of the trunk in due course.’

But the sweet chestnut and E&G building would both go under the scheme.

‘We appreciate the considerations of the main building and the sweet chestnut tree, but the fact is they are in poor condition and the tree is dying,’ the developers said in their letter.

‘Neither can be preserved and they should not act as a constraint to the effective and efficient delivery of this site in the wider concept of the main centre.’

The company detailed how it had eight years’ experience in local developments, which includes homes in Collings Road, Guelles Road and Brock Road.

n The plans can be viewed at https://www.gov.gg/liveplanningapplications.