Final piece of Fontaine Vinery jigsaw bought by GHA
A DERELICT vinery site has been purchased by the Guernsey Housing Association for nearly £2m.
It paid £1.95m for Duval Vinery, which stands alongside Fontaine Vinery in St Sampson’s.
It was assisted with States funding from the capital grant awarded to the Affordable Housing Development Programme. It is intended that the site will be used to deliver social rental, partial ownership and key-worker housing.
The GHA has already made a planning application for 21 dwellings and 21 flats on the land.
The consultation for that ended on Monday and the application has not yet been decided.
The land falls within the Fontaine Vinery housing allocation area and is also within the Bridge main centre outer boundary, which means new housing is likely to be allowed.
Incoming GHA chief executive Vic Slade said it was pleased to take on the new site.
‘This is a fantastic opportunity to provide 42 homes to go some way towards tackling the desperate housing need in the island, for people who cannot afford to rent or buy privately,’ she said.
‘The States has been really supportive of GHA securing land to provide a pipeline of new affordable homes over the next few years.’
In the past, the land has been used for commercial growing, but has not been operational for many years and the glasshouses are now overgrown and derelict.
Fontaine Vinery has a separate application for 91 homes, which is still under consideration.
The Duval plans would see a mix of one, two and three-bed homes, for rent, partial ownership and key workers. It is hoped that work can start on site during 2023, with phased completion of the homes being estimated towards the end of 2024 and into 2025.
‘We are pleased to be supporting the GHA in the purchase of this final piece of the Belgrave Vinery jigsaw puzzle,’ said Employment & Social Security president Deputy Peter Roffey.
‘It will enable much-needed affordable housing to be delivered, as well as provide opportunities to improve traffic infrastructure and active travel connectivity in the north of the island.’
