Leales Yard plans still in the "discussion" stage

Thursday 25 January 2018

The Channel Islands Co-op has admitted the planned redevelopment of Leales Yard is still making very slow progress.

An update on the work is expected within weeks and in the meantime the Co-op says discussions are "ongoing".

The land behind the Bridge has been earmarked for development for decades and the Co-op has come up with numerous plans to replace the derelict space with retail and residential units.

The Co-op's website describes the Bridge as: "a place where the focus is on locals. It’s a thriving town centre with the charming and eclectic Bridge frontage of Victorian and Edwardian buildings at its heart.

"The vision is for The Bridge to become a vibrant, viable town centre and to truly fulfil its role as the Island’s second main centre".

Plans to fulfil that have been passed but have never made it to fruition. Those plans include designs for hundreds of homes with parking spaces, new community and leisure facilities and shops. 

Pictured: Outline of the Leales Yard plans from the Co-op's website

In 2016 the States of Guernsey voted to give the Co-op longer to develop the site, extending its planning permission by three years. At the time the Co-op said work would start in 2017.

However, in response to a question from Express, a spokesman for the Channel Island's Co-op said: "The Society's progress in the disposal of the Leales Yard site has been taking longer than anticipated.

"The Society is still in ongoing discussion with a number of interested parties, and should be in a position to provide an update late February 2018".

Pictured above: The plans for Leales Yard from the Co-op's website