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Oberlands build gets the go-ahead

Oberlands build gets the go-ahead

Wednesday 01 May 2024

Oberlands build gets the go-ahead

Wednesday 01 May 2024


The island's first public/private partnership to develop key worker and private residential housing on the same plot has been given planning permission.

Infinity Construction will build the new properties - which will comprise two three-bed houses, two two-bed flats, two two-bed maisonettes, and 15 one-bed flats.

The one-bed units will all be bought by the Guernsey Housing Association once they are built. 

Infinity will then sell on the private properties via its usual methods which is predominantly through off-plan sales.

Oberlands housing 

Pictured (l-r): Paul Nobes of Infinity, Vic Slade of the GHA, and Deputy Peter Roffey. 

The two organisations announced their intention to work together to bring the new properties to the market late last year.

The States backed the plan, with the President of the Committee for Employment and Social Security saying he supported the initiative as it would provide vital key worker housing close to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital. 

Each of the 15 one-bed units to be built on this field have been ear marked as accommodation for hospital staff. 

Deputy Peter Roffey, who has responsibility for the provision of key-worker housing through his role as ESS President, said sites close to the PEH were ideal in this situation. 

"We know from our colleagues at HSC, they're tearing their hair out for accommodation, they're losing staff that would come here but can't because they can't find anywhere to live so the more sites we can get really close to the PEH for the specialist type of housing, the better," he said in November. 

Now planning permission has been given and work can start on developing the site, which Infinity's Managing Director Paul Nobes has previously said could take as little as 18 months to complete. 

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Pictured: The planning permission has granted with conditions.

While planning permission has been given for the mixed development to go ahead, it has been given conditions.

Alongside the usual caveats around wildlife and biodiversity, the conditions also include the now-standard mandate to include bicycle shelters to encourage cycling as opposed to car use.

The whole site will have 14 car parking spaces which will be shared between the private dwellings and some visitor spaces. 

Tenants renting the key worker units will be encouraged to use active transport methods or public transport and some car parking may be provided at the hospital.

Insufficient parking was one of the points of concern raised by the field's neighbours and other opponents to the development along with worries about the impact of additional traffic on Rue de la Corbinerie, Les Oberlands. 

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Pictured: Planning permission was granted last week and work is expected to start soon.

Other concerns centred around the loss of wildlife habitats, the number of and height of properties being built, neighbour's loss of privacy and overshadowing, and residents feelings of being 'boxed in' by the new dwellings. 

Past flooding at the Oberlands entrance to the hospital was also cited as a concern but permission has been granted despite that and other representations.

READ MORE...

Oberlands development to test the water

UNPLUGGED: Looking to the future with Infinity

Plans for homes in field in St Martin's

FOCUS: Delivering 00s of key worker homes through the GHA

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