The douzaine has objected to the Development & Planning Authority’s proposal to zone the land at Les Caches Farm, opposite Morrisons St Peter’s, as part of its review of the Island Development Plan.
Its official objection was along similar lines to more than 50 other representations made against the proposal, including its designation as a brownfield site and the proximity of the airport.
These objections included that Les Caches Farm is one of the pre-eminent farmstead sites in Guernsey.
‘It has stood on this site for 600 years and has rightly been legally protected for many years,’ the parish said. ‘To place 30 units of accommodation in such close proximity, including within the existing domestic curtilage... would destroy six centuries of heritage, permanently.’
St Peter’s published a community plan last year which was then converted into supplementary planning guidance to be used when determining applications for development within the parish.
The douzaine said that plan made it clear that there was no appetite for high density large scale developments in the parish, even within its designed ‘local centre’.
‘A development on the scale proposed on such an important sensitive site clearly does not meet the goals set out in the community plan and the douzaine is concerned that the will of parishioners is being ignored.’
It said that there were other sites in the parish that could be considered for significant housing development ‘where development would not destroy an important heritage site’.
It added that the parish was prepared to discuss the future of its post office and community hall.
Senior constable Tim Langmead signed the letter on behalf of the douzaine but wrote privately in support of the proposal to develop next to the historic farmhouse, on the condition that it was suitably screened off.
‘The parish needs to provide more homes for younger people and also smaller units for older people to downsize to, and this site fits the bill,’ he said.
More than 50 people attended a meeting about the proposed amendments to the IDP three months ago which turned into a protest meeting against the Les Caches plans.
The DPA’s proposals and public representations received are now being considered by planning inspector Keith Holland.
The next stage of a planning inquiry should take place in the second half of the year.
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