Les Bas Courtils house to be converted into five flats
A LARGE St Sampson’s house can be converted into five flats, while four new homes can be built in its garden, and a barn converted into another home.
The planning permission is the latest for the Les Bas Courtils housing allocation site, which stands on the east coast, near Richmond Corner.
Infinity Group is already developing land to the east – which was formerly an orchard – into 13 homes.
Infinity Group managing director Paul Nobes said getting permission for the house had taken some time, as planning was struggling with staffing.
But talks had been positive and he was pleased to see permission granted.
Building control has already looked over part of the site and should visit the rest soon, clearing the path for work to begin.
‘We are planning to start work in the next three months,’ he said.
There was only one representation for the latest application, with an islander raising concerns limiting working hours to weekdays.
Work has also been progressing on building 13 homes on the neighbouring former orchard site.
Mr Nobes said bad weather before Christmas had slowed work, but he was hopeful progress would speed up again as the weather improved.
‘The first ones will be finished before Christmas, and the rest in spring early next year,’ he said.
In the latest planning permission, the planners noted that adding the two sites together would total 23 new units – above the threshold for which affordable housing is required to be provided.
However planners said it was not feasible to have affordable houses in this case, as there is split ownership of the site and the development of the land had progressed over time. Initially it had been planned to keep the house as a single unit of accommodation, which would have put it below the 20-house threshold for affordable housing being required.
The planners accepted that the sale of the houses on to the private market would contribute to both the social and economic objectives of the States.
For the orchard site, two of the houses have already sold off-plan and gone through court, and seven more were under offer.
Mr Nobes said before 2021 all the homes would normally have been sold off-plan, but the market had slowed.
With the two sites being next to each other, Mr Nobes said it made it much easier to develop them, and work in phases.
