Divided DPA backs plans for 26 new homes at Briarwood
PLANS for 26 new homes being built on the Briarwood site in St Martin’s were finally approved by the Development & Planning Authority after an open planning meeting yesterday, despite the absence of affordable homes in the development.
Under planning policy GP11 in the Island Development Plan, developments of between 25 and 30 new dwellings should give over 28% of space to affordable houses, which would have been seven homes at Briarwood.
But an independent report found that requirement would make the scheme unviable.
Employment & Social Security president Peter Roffey and vice-president Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez made a final appeal for the DPA to reject the scheme, unless it included some affordable housing.
Deputy Roffey said that failing to apply GP11 fully would set ‘an unfortunate precedent’ given that the island needs more than 700 additional units of social housing over the next five years or about 1,000 if accommodation for key workers is included.
DPA member Andrew Taylor agreed with them and voted against the application. But his four colleagues on the committee voted in favour of allowing the scheme to go ahead.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of more disarray within the DPA with two members, Deputies Taylor and John Dyke, claiming to be the committee’s vice-president amid a stand-off about whether an attempt to unseat Deputy Taylor was allowed under States rules.
This was the second time the proposed project at Briarwood had been heard at an open planning meeting. In December, the DPA deferred a decision to await further advice.
Some revisions to the plans had been made since then, including changing the access, revising the layout of the public car park and adding hedging and a private garden/amenity space.
The plans were put forward by Sarnian Property Ltd and Infinity Construction.
Project director Alex Knowelden claimed the issue of viability had not been understood by ESS politicians, who also suggested the developer had overpaid for the land.
‘The unfounded accusation that the developer considered such a high-risk strategy and engineered the avoidance of GP11 reflects that ESS have an extremely poor level of understanding in the development process,’ he said.
Representations were also heard from Deputies Rob Prow and Aidan Matthews on behalf of residents opposed to the development.
Infinity MD Paul Nobes told the meeting that land values were a difficult subject to understand for anyone not in the development business.
Planning officials told the meeting that no affordable homes had been built under GP11 since the policy was introduced in 2016.
DPA president Deputy Victoria Oliver said it knew the policy was not working but that it was not possible to change it without a much wider review of planning law and policy.
Welcoming planning approval, Mr Knowelden said it had been a long time coming.
‘Yes, there’s an element of relief, but I do believe that the deputies have raised some very valid points on policies that will need to be addressed.’
