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Those proposing amendments to planning laws have changed their tune from eight years ago, with demand for more space in the commercial sector now needed.
Modelling has been adjusted since the Island Development Plan was first signed off in 2016, which originally forecasted a decline in the industrial sector and therefore made less allocations for new sites.
However, the sector grew in the intervening years and the requirement for more land has been identified, which officials say is in line with planning permissions received and market interest.
Existing land can be used to deliver 20,000sqm of space for industry, as well as 3,200sqm for offices.
Among the changes proposed to achieve this include designating the data park site as a mixed-use zone, with 60% for social housing and the remainder for light industry and storage uses.
Lowlands Industrial Estate would also become the island’s first business park under planning laws for bulky goods retailing, office, light industry and storage & distribution.
The Development & Planning Authority is also expecting that light industry and distribution will form part of future development of the airport including within the already allocated La Villiaze site.
The Admiral Park car park and warehouses would still be in scope for future office development, with the remainder deliverable through existing sites or modest conversion in town at the Bridge.
Reforms would also make it quicker to change the use of vacant commercial properties.
But while it’s still planned for large fuel stores, power plants and more waste operations to be concentrated at Longue Hougue, the States’ indecision over inert waste will prevent this anytime soon.
Pictured: Deputy Peter Roffey welcomes more space for industry but is concerned about the hold up on key land at Longue Hougue.
DPA President Deputy Victoria Oliver said the proposals had to be carefully thought through given competing demands for businesses.
“It's really difficult because what people actually want is really small sites for industrial, whereas what has always been on the market is really quite large areas and a small business can't take that,” she said.
Meanwhile Deputy Peter Roffey, President of both Employment & Social Security and the States Trading Supervisory Board commented that the use of the data park was a sensible one, and plans were drawn up years ago for a split between commercial and social housing.
“When we bought the data park, we got a written undertaking from the DPA that they were happy for most of it to be used as for affordable housing. So, they've delivered on that by proposing 60% for affordable housing and 40% for industrial commercial use, and I think that's a very sensible split,” he said.
He also welcomed the additional scope for industry, but raised concerns that States indecision over inert waste meant the key heavy industrial expansion area – the reclaimed land at Longue Hougue – would prevent the transfer of firms to the land while waste is stockpiled there temporarily.
“It does leave room for the economic driver for storage and all the light industry, and obviously we need to accommodate it. Also, in due course I hope quite a lot of it will move down to Longue Hougue where we've reclaimed land.
“But unfortunately, at the moment, we're having to stockpile waste there, so it's not available.”
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