Active travel a key part of Pointues Rocques build

Peter Falla said active travel was becoming increasingly popular and it would only increase in time.

At least one parking space will be allocated for each of the 68 homes on the site. Each will be ducted to enable electric charging points to be fitted. There will be seven spaces for shared electric cars, each with their own charging points, 15 spaces for disabled drivers and eight for visitors. This was more than twice the requirement and things had moved on since the first planning application for the site was submitted in 2017.

‘This is the first allocated housing site to come forward, and the next ones will be the same,’ said Mr Falla.

‘You can’t continue to stuff places with car parking and move to change culture at the same time.’

He said that electric bicycles particularly were transforming commuting and even travel with children. Mr Falla said that people would find it quicker to get to Town on two wheels and they would feel better and healthier from doing it.

Deputy Adrian Gabriel opposed the plans at Wednesday’s meeting. A member of Environment & Infrastructure, he said his views were not necessarily those of his committee, and he was not connected in any way with the Messrs Gabriel who had a share in the ownership of the site.

He said Pointues Rocques should never have been made a housing target area, due to the restrictive road network around it. Deputy Gabriel said he was also sceptical when it came to active travel.

‘My heart says yes, but my head says no,’ he said. ‘Guernsey people tend to be stubborn when it comes to change. Traffic issues are very prevalent and if there isn’t the take-up, it will be too late to revoke planning permission.’

Mr Falla said Pointues Rocques was a big site by Guernsey standards.

Now the owners had planning permission, progress would depend on a developer wanting to buy it, he said.

‘If that doesn’t happen, permission will run out and we’ll have to start again,’ he said.