Hotel demolition only possible with suspension of GP11 policy
Scrapping the GP11 affordable housing policy paved the way for the demolition of the long-derelict St Martin’s Hotel, its owner has said.
Work to flatten the site began last month after plans to allow the demolition of the crumbling structure and permit the removal of a number of trees, submitted in December 2023, were finally approved in November.
George Wilkinson, managing director of the development company which owns the former hotel, said that without the suspension last spring of the controversial planning policy GP11, which required a defined percentage of large housing sites to be built as affordable, the building would have remained untouched.
‘One thing I can say for certain is that we would not be proceeding with these works if planning policy GP11 had still been in effect,’ he said.
‘A number of people have commented recently that there hasn’t been any response from developers to the suspension of GP11 nearly a year ago, but these things take time to show up, and progress is actually being made. We are also hoping to submit a planning application in the near future on another site for about 40 dwellings, which had been held back by GP11.’
Mr Wilkinson said the first phase of the demolition works were now completed.
‘We started with the buildings at the southern end and are progressing northwards,’ he said.
‘We are continuing with soft stripping works and further demolition will follow in due course. I can’t estimate the timescale to complete the demolition because it depends upon what we encounter as we progress through the buildings.’
Mr Wilkinson did not want to comment on the future of the site, which closed its doors more than 15 years ago, and there are currently no planning applications for any building work or housing in place.
When the company was first looking to develop the site in 2010, it was given planning permission for 35 apartments.
However, a development framework for the 1.25 hectare site on Les Merriennes was approved by the Development & Planning Authority in January 2024.
It indicated that between 62 and 75 dwellings for general housing could be built on the site, or up to 112 sheltered housing or key worker units.
Mr Wilkinson revealed in August that had the company been given the 2024 allocation back in 2010, he would have envisaged building being completed by 2017 at the latest.
He also revealed that he had then entered discussions with the States about selling the site to the government to be developed.
