But new DPA president Neil Inder used the meeting to express his dissatisfaction at the shortage of possible affordable housing sites in the island.
The meeting heard that only this site – which would provide 69 affordable homes and 16 private homes – and the former CI Tyres site, where work is starting to create more than 60 affordable homes, could be used to swiftly create affordable homes.
‘This is a depressing place to be,’ Deputy Inder said in the meeting, noting that the previous States had funded the purchase of several sites in the north of the island for social housing, but all were largely years away from being developed.
Former deputy Peter Roffey headed up Employment & Social Security and an ad hoc ‘Housing Action Group’ in the last States and was closely involved with the purchase of those northern sites, including the former Data Park off Route Militaire.
He spoke at the open meeting, noting there were few sites where housing could be delivered quickly, particularly in the south of the island, and supporting this as a good option.
Housing Committee vice-president Sasha Kazantseva-Miller also put forward her support to the meeting and noted afterwards that many of the northern housing sites had complex issues, which needed to be addressed. But the scheme was not popular with neighbours, with 14 objections, and several spoke at the meeting.
Neighbour Peter Creasey said the development – part of which involves a field to the south of the Mallard and outside the Forest local centre boundary – would represent ‘urban creep’ into the countryside.
Andy Newman, another neighbour, said there was a fragile juggling act for creating housing and preserving green space, and he was worried that permission would set a precedent.
Le Rondin special needs primary school backs onto the site and Yvonne Hodder, on behalf of the school, said there were concerns about the noise and dust distressing the children, as well as concerns about overlooking the school site.
Ordinarily new housing is not allowed outside the local centres or on green fields. But here it was argued this development was of strategic importance, with planning director Jim Rowles saying this was an exceptional case, which would not set a precedent.
‘It’s a balancing act for what is most important,’ he said.
‘Is it the housing being proposed or the agricultural priority area?
'It is a difficult decision.’
The DPA political members went on to unanimously approve the outline planning application, with Deputy Inder noting it would provide much-needed housing.
‘No application is going to be without its drawbacks, so we have to be pragmatic,’ he said.
Neighbour Julie Newman said they were disappointed with the decision.
‘All of us recognise the need for housing, but they should be looking at brownfield sites,’ she said.
DPA member Steve Williams is also the Housing Committee president and a former Guernsey Housing Association chief executive.
He confirmed the scheme had not been proposed while he was at the GHA and he had recused himself from any Housing Committee discussions over the Mallard site.
Detailed plans to be submitted in new year
Detailed plans for the Mallard site are already being drawn up and there are hopes they will be submitted to the planners in the new year.
The project is the second time the Guernsey Housing Association and the private developer Infinity have worked together. Their first joint development, to create a mixture affordable and private homes at Les Oberlands, will be finished next year.
This scheme will have 34 houses, 51 apartments and 128 parking spaces.
GHA chief executive Vic Slade said she was delighted with the decision. And Infinity managing director Paul Nobes said his company was keen to create more homes quickly.
‘With 69 affordable homes coming forward, this development will provide real hope for local families who currently have limited choices,’ he said.
Project director Andrew Merrett said the detailed plans would now need to be submitted to planning for approval, and only then could the project get under way. It was expected the scheme would be built in three phases, with it taking up to four years for the final phase to be completed.
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