Review planning laws to stop homes losing value

We find ourselves in a similar situation. We live in Rue de Bouverie and purchased our home 10 years ago.

We paid a premium for our property, which currently has beautiful views over Cobo from the kitchen and conservatory downstairs and the bedroom upstairs. When we purchased the property the extensive views included Albecq, but these have been lost with the building of the now empty ‘Cobo Alice’ house.

A planning application to build a clos of currently five properties adjacent to the pedestrian lane between Rue de Bouverie and Route de Cobo has been approved. This will eliminate our views from downstairs and either eliminate or compromise our views from upstairs.

It will also take away our privacy in our garden and conservatory and seriously impact on our quiet enjoyment of our home and its amenities.

The land which is being developed is currently home to hedgehogs and a large variety of birds nest in the hedges and trees. These will be replaced by fencing. In addition, the density of the build will provide significant light pollution which will adversely affect the habitat for the bats and owls we frequently watch at night. The parking being allocated to each property is unlikely to be sufficient and this will impact on the nearby parking used for visitors to Cobo beach.

There is no doubt that the construction of this clos and further planned development in the area will not only impact on our quality of life (and some of our neighbours will be more severely impacted than us) but the loss of sea views will devalue our property.

Of additional concern is that a small development of three properties in Rue de Bouverie had plans approved and have applied to extend the properties before the properties have been completed. Plans are submitted with adequate (but minimal) outside space and then these plans are amended prior to completion.

It is worrying that this may have set a precedent for future developments in the area.

It is understood that Cobo was included in the 2016 IDP as a local centre but the amount of development approved in the small area surrounding Rue de Bouverie will remove the village feel from the area with it being turned into an overdeveloped concrete jungle with characterless boxes jammed into as small an area as possible.

The properties being built no doubt will be priced way outside the budget of most Guernsey families (as evidenced by the price of properties at Courtil Ozanne in Route de Carteret).

It is time that planning laws are reviewed and revised to stop this devaluation of people’s homes, although sadly this will be too late for us and

Mr Le Pelley.

Unfortunately there are a number of people who see any piece of land as a profit waiting to happen and cannot just enjoy the benefit of their surroundings.

SUE EDMONDS

Me et Te

Rue de Bouverie

Castel