Vazon residents ‘have already seen enough development’
Vazon residents said yesterday that they feel the area has already seen enough development, after they learned that planners were proposing to create a new local centre on the west coast.
Local centres aim to give boundaries to areas with certain services, and new homes can be created inside that area.
It is proposed the Vazon local centre will centre around the Co-op on Rue des Goddards.
Three vinery sites – Whispers Vinery on Rue Des Goddards, along with La Trousserie and Niche Vinery off Route de la Mare – have been identified as being suitable for approximately 76 affordable homes and 13 private homes in the latest amendment to the Island Development plan.
If approved, Vazon would become Castel’s third local centre, along with Cobo and L’Aumone.
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One resident, who lived in the area sandwiched between the sites and did not want to be named, said she felt Vazon was built up enough already.
‘We moved there to get away from the busy feeling of town, but it seems they are keen to make the west coast a hive of activity with the Grande Mare development and now possible housing developments,’ she said.
‘The road is very narrow at the area near the site they are talking about in Route de la Mare, rarely two vehicles can pass each other at that point, so this will only make the road more congested.
‘They should look at road infrastructure first and figure out if it’s feasible.’
Another resident agreed.
‘They are trying to stop traffic going to the school because the roads are already so narrow.’
She added said she also was worried about the impact any developments would have on flooding in the area.
‘The drains already can’t cope with the water coming down, it was completely flooded last week during the downpours,’ she said.
‘We were lucky the tides were so low. People are building walls right around their properties to keep the water out from both sides.’
Another neighbour agreed.
‘90 homes is quite a lot,’ she said. ‘If you look at the aerial photo in the Guernsey Press today you can see it has already pretty much been filled in.
‘I don’t really want it to be like Cobo which has seen every green space disappear.’
The only Vazon resident more supportive of the plans that the Guernsey Press spoke to actually owned one of the vinery sites.
‘I think it would be good for Vazon to be considered a centre like Cobo,’ she said.
‘So it is really thought of as a community.’
However, she said she was unaware that an announcement that her land had been earmarked for housing development was coming.
‘We put it forward in a call for sites two years ago,’ she said.
‘I have no idea of how many houses they are considering or what’s happening next.
'I expect that any development would be a long, long way off and it's a case of watching and waiting.’
