Monday 16 March 2015
Guernsey Press Enquiry:
I had a media enquiry for Environment relating to comments made by Housing minister Dave Jones.
He was talking about the issues facing developing Belgrave Vinery for housing. He said the only piece of land that would be immediately suitable for development, without investing millions in addressing the land condition, was the (temporary) builders yard.
He said the problem was that there was no suitable and affordable sites for these existing businesses to move to, in order to make way for any housing development.
Deputy Jones said that if Environment and C&E could come up with some 'affordable' alternative sites, then movement could perhaps be made.
Could Environment respond to this? Does it believe there are other suitable sites?
Is it investigating others?
Environment Department Response:
Deputy Jones is referring to Fontaine Vinery, which is recognised under the current Urban Area Plan and also under the draft new Island Development Plan (IDP) as being suitable for housing development. It is at present part of the Belgrave Vinery Housing Target Area, for which a States approved Local Planning Brief exists, and is a designated housing site in the draft IDP.
Part of the Fontaine site is currently being used on a temporary basis for low-impact storage and industrial uses until required for housing, and part is being used for waste processing purposes managed by the Public Services Department on a similar temporary basis. Fontaine Vinery also contains a long-established stonemasons yard.
Research undertaken to provide the evidence base for the draft Island Development Plan confirms that there is currently an over-supply of industrial and storage land on the Island. This is projected to continue over the 10 year life of the Plan, which promotes the consolidation of such uses within the Key Industrial Areas and also allows for expansion areas to accommodate possible future demand. There is, in principle, no barrier in terms of the quantity of available industrial land to the relocation of the existing uses from Fontaine Vinery.
It is however acknowledged that some businesses experience difficulties in finding affordable sites. To address this issue, policies in the existing Urban and Rural Area Plans and in the draft new IDP allow for suitable development of redundant vinery sites for such uses, in appropriate circumstances. In this respect, however, releasing vineries would not necessarily solve the problem because the moment such a piece of land is given change of use its value immediately increases and the owner may then want a commensurately higher rent.
The issue of affordability of industrial premises is being investigated by the Commerce and Employment Department as a specific workstream identified in its Economic Development Framework. Commerce and Employment has advised that this will involve carrying out research to identify if there are any issues of affordability amongst the key commercial premises types, and that it is currently working to identify the scope of the project and the nature of the research that will need to be done.
It is therefore an oversimplification of the issues for Deputy Jones to suggest that there are no suitable and affordable sites for the existing businesses to move to, to allow Fontaine Vinery to be used for housing. A range of opportunities exist within current and draft future planning policy to enable such relocation, whilst the question of affordability is a separate and complex issue which is being specifically addressed by the Commerce and Employment Department.
In addition, the practical considerations associated with facilitating such a change, having regard to factors including the existing waste infrastructure and long-standing private commercial use on the site, should not be underestimated. The temporary and short-term nature of the States' compound permissions presents an attractive rental offering for tenants, which would be difficult to replicate on privately-owned land.
It is also not correct to suggest that the responsibility for resolving this rests solely with Environment or Commerce and Employment and a number of States departments will be working together to consider a range of issues at the Fontaine Vinery, with the intention of making best use of this States-owned site.
Contact Information:
Jim Rowles, Director of Planning
Environment Department
Tel: 01481 717200
