St Peter’s residents voice their fears about homes on flight path
SEVERE concerns were raised about building 30 affordable housing units on the flight path at a packed meeting in St Peter’s this week.
More than 50 people filled the parish douzaine room, with several forced to stand throughout more than 90 minutes of active discussion.
Although the meeting, led by Development & Planning Authority president Victoria Oliver, was ostensibly about any land use changes in the revised Island Development Plan, every single question referred to Les Caches Farm, opposite St Peter’s Morrisons – the only site proposed for affordable housing in the parish.
Many objections concerned the designation of part of the site as brownfield – when it was ‘domestic curtilage’ – part of the garden of Les Caches Farm.
‘This is quite literally prime agricultural land,’ said one resident.
‘Up to a few years ago myself and the previous owner of the farm used to graze sheep right across it.’
Other objections centred around the fact that Les Caches Farm itself was listed and the site in question was right under the final approach to the airport runway.
‘I think a lot of people in the room are quite shocked that someone might buy one of these essential parts of our heritage and develop it,’ said one parishioner.
‘The concern for people who really care about history is that there’s a big risk that our generation doesn’t just stick plastic in the seas, but we actually take these really special parts of our heritage and trash it for future generations.
‘Are you aware there are already landing lights on that site?,’ another resident asked.
‘10 to 15 years ago there was a plane crash that demolished a bungalow, are you now talking about putting 100 people under the end of the flight path?’
The site in question already has planning permission to become a glamping site but one resident alleged that this was a ruse to gain further planning permission and the site would ‘never see a yurt.’
Deputy Oliver admitted she had sympathy with many of the objections and there was no ‘silver bullet’ for curing the island's housing needs. At several points she and her colleagues urged anyone with concerns to submit their views through the online form before the 31 March deadline.
‘The DPA is not really in control of this process, because it is inspector-led,’ she said.
‘What we’re in control of is we get to choose the land supply.
‘And we think these are the best sites.
‘If you guys don’t, I’m not going to die in a ditch over it, and if you come up with a better solution, please, I’d be most happy to hear about it.’
Another parishioner asked why the authority was proposing spreading housing around the island.
‘People will be having to drive into town, it should just all be in the north of the island,' they said.
‘The GHA has requested that affordable housing be more evenly distributed,’ Deputy Oliver replied.
‘And I would love you to come to a meeting in St Sampson’s and say that.’
n A number of parishes have already held similar planning meetings, aiming to give parishioners a chance to find out more about the Island Development Plan review.
A meeting in St Peter Port, where industry figures were also invited to speak, took place last night.
For more information on the current proposals, visit https://www.gov.gg/IDP-review
The deadline for representations is the end of March.
