23 potential new houses at Cobo

Thursday 27 December 2018

Up to 23 new homes could be built across two sites at Cobo, despite current residents and a States Committee objecting to the plans.

The Development Framework for the potential residential development at Mycroft, on the Route de Carteret, Cobo, and Warma, also on the Route De Carteret, has been approved by the Development & Planning Authority.

While Frameworks do not always lead to development, it provides planning guidance on how the site might be built on by setting out how policies in the Island Development Plan will be applied to the site. It is approved by the DPA to be used as a method of speeding up construction work.  

This means that there is now an existing planning permission on the Warma part of the site for 13 dwellings, and across the entire site (including both Mycroft and Warma combined) approximately 15-23 dwellings in total could be built. 

Pictured: the flood risks identified around the site. 

As with all frameworks like this, there was a six week public consultation period and a number of responses to the draft were received, including some from States’ Committees/Agencies and many from the public. The main concerns focused on: 

• the principle of housing development in the current context, including: the reduced States’ Housing indicator, development of greenfield land, allowing only limited development in Local Centres, consideration of other approvals in the Local Centre, conformity with the spatial strategy, and population decrease.
• The principle of securing affordable housing if allowing a phased approach.
• flood risk and surface water drainage (including the impact of domestication).
• the impact on the nature trail and on biodiversity.
• character and appearance of development in relation to the semi-rural, historic area.
• foul water infrastructure.
• legal agreement relating to the use of Le Pre de La Cotte Estate Road and possible associated implications.
• the impact on road safety, particularly vulnerable road users such as pedestrians.
• the relationship of the site to further land to the west.   

All of the matters raised were fully considered by the Authority and several amendments were made to the draft in response to some of the comments received before the Final Framework was approved.  The main amendments related to:

• Requirement to assess the ecological value of the site.
• Improving the clarity of the wording relating to infrastructure serving the site.

The Planning Service said it would like to thank all respondents for their interest and engagement in the preparation of the Development Framework. The Development Framework can be accessed via the States of Guernsey website at gov.gg/developmentframeworks or copies of the Development Framework are available to view at the Planning Service Reception at Sir Charles Frossard House, La Charroterie, St Peter Port.

Pictured top: the Warma/Mycroft site.