Wednesday 07 August 2019
At its meeting held on 30 July 2019, the Policy & Resources Committee agreed to make funding available to undertake four Development Frameworks for Regeneration Areas.
These are identified areas where a co-ordinated and flexible approach to planning of mixed use development can achieve the economic and social strategic objectives of the States of Guernsey.
The four Regeneration Areas identified in the Island Development Plan (IDP) are:
- Lower Pollet, St Peter Port
- South Esplanade and Mignot Plateau, St Peter Port
- Mansell Street/Le Bordage, St Peter Port
- Leale's Yard, St Sampson & Vale
These are four areas where redevelopment is encouraged and provide opportunities for investment within a flexible and permissive planning policy framework. The IDP states that a Development Framework is required for each Regeneration Area, and that this should be adopted by the Development & Planning Authority (D&PA).
Development Frameworks set out the issues and opportunities for each area and ensure that schemes are well planned from the outset in accordance with the policies of the IDP.
In order to produce Development Frameworks for smaller sites such as housing developments, the D&PA work with the private sector. However, for the Regeneration Areas a more substantial amount of expertise and resource is required and therefore, it is expected that this will be obtained off-island in order to accommodate or assist with such work.
It is anticipated that each Development Framework will cost in the region of £50k - £100k, depending on complexity, totalling between £200k and £400k. The D&PA is expected to underspend its 2019 budget by approximately £100k, as a result of forecast income being ahead of budget, which will be utilised to part-fund the Development Frameworks. The Policy & Resources Committee have agreed to make funding available from the Budget Reserve in 2019 and 2020 to fund the amount that cannot be met within the forecast underspend and potential fee income.
Deputy Gavin St Pier, President of the Policy & Resources Committee, said:
"The Policy & Resources Committee are committed to ensuring these areas are developed beneficially and that the public have the opportunity to review and comment on the proposals before they are formally submitted as a planning application. In addition, each area will benefit from mixed-use development and the collaborative working which the Development Frameworks will enable. We are delighted that the Development & Planning Authority are ready, willing and able to crack on with this important step and we were pleased to help facilitate this by supporting their request for additional funding."
Deputy Dawn Tindall, President of the Development & Planning Authority, said:
"The Development & Planning Authority is extremely grateful to the Policy & Resources Committee for their support to ensure we can produce the four Development Frameworks as soon as possible and that for Leale's Yard hopefully by the end of 2019. The four Regeneration Areas will significantly benefit from a co-ordinated and focused approach to development which will enable the early realisation of opportunities in the four Areas and may also result in further investment elsewhere on the Island. Each area has its own issues and opportunities and we look forward to working with the private sector and others to implement the vision for the future of Town and the Bridge."
