Planning permission has been secured to turn La Grande Mare Hotel into an extensive 'country club' resort featuring much-improved visitor accommodation and facilities for golf.
After approving the application, the Development & Planning Authority said the development had "significant potential for economic growth and tourism for Guernsey".
The hotel was bought by Guernsey-based billionaire businessman Stephen Lansdown in 2019. He has said that he intends to create a “world class golf club and resort".
His plans include demolishing the existing buildings and driving range and replacing them with a golf club, health and fitness club, restaurant and event facilities, 15 self-catering visitor accommodation lodges, a new driving range and academy building and extending and remodelling the existing golf course. A new access point will be created off Le Gele Road.
Pictured: Stephen Lansdown now has permission to get on with his ambitious plans to turn La Grande Mare into one of the island's most impressive tourist centres.
Deputy Victoria Oliver, President of the Development & Planning Authority, said the Authority is excited by the development on the west coast.
"I’m really pleased to see planning permission granted for this site," she said.
"It was an application which needed to consider a lot of different elements and which needed to balance enabling of economic and social potential for Guernsey while also mitigating any environmental impact.
"Taking into account all the assessments, representations and comments received, it was concluded that the balance of consideration rests very clearly in favour of the proposals and we are excited to see the benefits this development will bring to our local community.”
Pictured: La Grande Mare Hotel, a familiar site on the west coast, will now be torn down to make way for an extensive 'country club' development. The man behind the plans, Stephen Lansdown, has said: "This building is not fit for purpose. It will always be a bed and breakfast. It's four-star, but in my mind, I question that and this place deserves something special."
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