PEH green field to be used for staff homes

Deputy Steve Falla’s requete was amended by Deputy Neil Inder to the point where ultimately he urged colleagues to vote it down. But it was passed by 23 votes to 12.

The field is now in line for a planning application to be drawn up, and the States will look to buy and turn a brownfield site into agricultural land as an offset move.

‘I’m disappointed that the States were so far adrift of the well-articulated views of many residents who are strongly against developing this agricultural priority area,’ Deputy Falla said.

Listen to a round-up of the debate from Simon De La Rue and Mark Ogier on the Guernsey Press Politics Podcast:

Ultimately deputies were swayed by the nature of the ‘accommodation emergency’ that was outlined by Health & Social Care.

‘I don’t think any member can be truly pleased with the result,’ said Deputy Inder. ‘Every member who voted for it had to hold their nose while they were doing it.’

Deputy David Mahoney, property lead for Policy & Resources, said he was pleased that ‘sense had been seen – we got where we needed to be’.

But Deputy Falla said the vote was ‘not the end of the story’. The public can make their views known over the planning application, he said.

How they voted on the amended ‘Falla requete’:

For: Deputies Aldwell, Blin, Brouard, De Lisle, Dudley-Owen, Dyke, Ferbrache, Gollop, Haskins, Helyar, Inder, Le Tissier, Mahoney, Matthews, McKenna, Meerveld, Moakes, Murray, Prow, Queripel, Vermeulen; Alderney Representatives Roberts, Snowdon. Total: 23

Against: Deputies Burford, Bury, Cameron, de Sausmarez, Fairclough, Falla, Gabriel, Le Tocq, Parkinson, Roffey, Soulsby, St Pier. Total: 12.

Abstentions: Deputies Kazantseva-Miller, Oliver.