Monday 17 February 2014
Environment Department responses to media enquiry from Guernsey Press on 14/02/2014.
Guernsey Press Enquiry:
A small business owner is frustrated that he has been told by the environment department that he can only have one shipping container in one of the Fontaine's small industrial units. He has claimed it will stop him expanding his business and protecting plant from thieves.
When was this decision made by the department? What is the department's justification for the decision?
Off the back of this Deputy Wilkie and Laurie Queripel are raising the issue of a lack of vinery sites for small businesses.
What is the department doing about this issue?
Environment Department Response:
At its meeting on 21 January 2014, the Board of the Environment Department resolved to endorse the policy approach of limiting the provision of containers at the Fontaine Vinery storage compounds to one container per compound, which it considered strikes the correct balance between the current objectives for the site and the operational needs of the tenant businesses concerned. In reaching this decision, the Board had particular regard to the origins of the use of the site for open storage yards, to the potential future use of the site which forms part of the Belgrave Vinery Housing Target Area, and to various other matters also relevant to this issue.
Fontaine Vinery occupies the northern part of the Belgrave Vinery Housing Target Area (HTA) within the Urban Area Plan. Fontaine Vinery and the Waste Segregation Site have been designated as an Area for Temporary Uses. The Outline Planning Brief (OPB) for the area details the site within Phase 3 of the HTA.
The reasons for designating this site for temporary open storage (e.g. for scaffolding storage etc) as part of the Belgrave Vinery OPB resulted from feedback from a survey commissioned by the Commerce and Employment Department that there was demand for such sites to accommodate low value uses which had no need for buildings; also anecdotal evidence from the Environment Department's own planning enforcement process whereby scaffolders and similar activities were locating illegally on redundant vinery sites apparently due to lack of affordable accommodation elsewhere.
The site was seen as a stop-gap pending relaxation of planning policy to facilitate such uses on an exceptional basis on redundant vineries in both the urban and rural areas. That policy change was approved by the States in 2010 and planning policies to facilitate such provision in appropriate circumstances now exist.
The designation of the Fontaine site for temporary open storage creates a presumption against the introduction of covered storage, whether achieved by using containers or by other means. The intention was to cater for low value uses requiring storage in the open. Providing extensive covered storage changes the character of the use to one which can be better accommodated elsewhere, having regard to the large stock of vacant industrial/storage buildings currently available for rent.
It is appreciated that this decision may be disappointing to some tenants of Fontaine Vinery but it must be emphasised that the Environment Board considered the matter very carefully in light of all material aspects before reaching its unanimous decision.
-ENDS-
Contact Information:
Jim Rowles, Director of Planning
Environment Department
Tel: 717200
