Ville au Roi residents ‘to make a fuss’ over plan for flats

The application has been made by two men who jointly own the site on Avenue Beauvais.

They propose converting a pair of semi-detached homes, known as Malusha and Beauvais House, into eight flats.

Then on the south-facing garden, a detached four-bedroom house would be built.

Residents met over the weekend to discuss their actions.

John Le Vasseur, who has been living in the area since 1996, said his main concern was over the lack of parking included in the proposal.

The plans would include five car parking spaces for the eight flats and two for the four-bedroom house.

This complies with the maximum parking standards for main centre outer areas in the Island Development Plan.

‘The area now has 23-hour parking zone, which means residents are already having to think about parking and moving their cars,’ he said.

‘But it’s generally quiet in the estate, with children playing on their bikes and skateboards and having a good time. This proposal would change that.’

He added that recent properties added to Avenue Germain had tidied up the place while allocating adequate parking spaces for each dwelling, but did not believe this proposal would do that.

In the application, the architects’ firm said this was a good site for the project.

‘Given the size of the site, the proportion of the existing properties, and the ease of vehicular and pedestrian access, it was considered that proposals for enhancing and maximising the land should be explored,’ said Emma Carter, from Grey Bear Chartered Architect.

‘The proposals are seeking to maximise the number of residential units given the location within a residential area and within walking distance to Town in one direction, and the hospital in the other.

‘This is particularly relevant in the current circumstances whereby Guernsey is keen to maximise the number of new dwellings due to a shortage of new housing.’

Ms Carter said that in addition to on-site parking spaces, there was on-street parking available on all roads around the Ville au Roi Estate and a public car park to the east.

‘We have provided the ground floor flats with their own individual private and secure bike store to promote sustainable transport and have provided a secure communal bike store for the first-floor flats.’

Another resident, who has been living near to the proposed development for about a year, said that there was already limited parking in the area, as staff from the Medical Specialist Group and the hospital staff often parked in the area to walk to work, or parked to walk into Town.

‘The area is already built-up as it is and its a family area so there are always children playing and riding their bikes,’ she said.

‘We’re supposed to promote children playing outside and not on their screens, but with the added cars it won’t be safe to do so.

‘The residents feel really strong about this, and we will definitely be making a fuss about it.’

The property is already the tallest on the road, and the planning application states that the ridge height would be raised.

. Representations to the proposal must be made to the Planning Service by Monday 20 February.