Quantity of land for industrial use is considerably underestimated

I must disagree. Often it takes me a good while to find time for some things. Often you must prioritise, which means some, and possibly many things take longer – and possibly a lot longer – to do than you would like.

Deadlines

This can conflict with deadlines. Often deadlines are important and frequently necessary. Obviously prioritising will take this into consideration, but alas it can be difficult or impossible to complete some – or many – things you would like to have completed in a given time.

Land Planning and Use review

I was part of the consultation regarding land use for Commerce and Employment, being particularly interested in land provision for industrial use, of which I have been active for probably 35 years now. Unfortunately, I did not make a submission regarding the recent Land Planning and Use review as I ran out of time.

I hope that others did regarding the provision of land for industrial use.

Under-provision

I believe that the quantity of land for industrial use is considerably under-quantified and question just how the figure was calculated and where data for it came from.

Three businesses are established and still located on the Fontaine Vinery – one does not wish to be mentioned, so I will not refer to them. Then there’s ourselves, Vaudin Stonemasons, who have been here for nearly 35 years, and States Minibuses parked in the former industrial compounds.

We have searched for alternative sites to no avail, and the minibuses have nowhere to go either.

The three businesses and minibus parking take up half the stated area of land the report recommended that is allocated for industrial use. I would say this speaks for itself.

I have seen industrial land considerably diminish (which include stonemasons’ yards and builders’ yards) being turned over continuously to housing. As much as land for housing is important, so is land for other uses.

Past stoneworkers

I should add former quarries have been filled with water, rubbish, and spoil. Stone yards have been re-purposed. These both have provided some useful re-uses but diminished my vocational ancestors’ places of work that we could continue to use.

LANCE VAUDIN

Managing director

Vaudin Stonemasons