Positive plans for St Peter’s parish after community consultation

But parishioners have rejected ideas to restrict traffic through the heart of St Peter’s and creating a leisure hub.

The village centre serves about 10% of the island and the aim of the plan was to find ways to develop the area over the next 20 years to better serve the community.

The document was drawn up the St Peter’s Community Plan Committee, an independent group of parishioners who started work on it three years ago.

Now all islanders are being invited to give their views, which could see their ideas could become part of planning guidance for the area.

Development & Planning Authority president Victoria Oliver said this type of community-driven plan was a good way to hear what residents want to happen in their local area.

‘I am so pleased that we have had our first community plan and look forward to your views,’ she said.

‘If you live in the area, use the area regularly, or are just interested in this part of the island, please take a look at the plan and let us know if you have any comments so that we can make sure that this plan is welcomed by all.’

Tony Talmage led the committee, along with current and past constables and douzeniers, but the team was independent of the parish.

‘I’m pleased with how it has all gone,’ he said.

‘Covid intervened and this dragged on for much longer than we hoped, but I’m pleased with how it has unfolded and the outcome.’

He suggested that this could be a template for how other parishes planned their future.

Nearly 9% of St Peter’s adult population responded to the original consultation, representing 18% of nearly 800 households.

Of the 35 proposals, 16 were given support. And the most popular was enlarging the post office with a new retail unit or cafe.

The St Peter’s Post Office building is owned by the parish.

Senior constable Tim Langmead said the plan had been drawn up independently of the douzaine but members had discussed the report.

He said they were generally in favour of the ideas within it, including the development of the post office building.

‘This is on our radar, and is part of the bigger picture of what the parish needs,’ he said.

‘It is an old hut type of building and would need to be replaced at some point.’

He added that the douzaine had put the conversion of the second floor of the douzaine room into accommodation on hold while it considered feedback on the report.

‘It is almost what people don’t want that is more interesting, they don’t want massive developments but more a few tweaks like trying to calm traffic.’

He added that the need for owners to be able to subdivide or redevelop to offer housing units was also something which had emerged.

‘We have a lot of people in very big households who would love to downsize,’ he said, ‘But in the parish there is nothing to downsize too.’

There was also popular support for a crossing on Rue de Brehaut, upgrading the sport pavilion at the Sylvan’s ground and creating a health hub, with a doctors surgery, pharmacy and health studio.

If the ideas were adopted as supplementary planning guidance, it would give guidance to developers, applicants and planning officers for how the area could be developed.

SPGs are taken into account when considering planning applications.

The plan can be viewed at gov.gg/stpetercommunityplan.

All islanders are invited to provide their comments via e-mail at planning@gov.gg or in writing to the Development & Planning Authority, Sir Charles Frossard House, La Charroterie, GY1 1FH.

The closing date for comments is Tuesday 28 May.