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A lack of foresight in proposals for housing at the hospital mean an opportunity could be missed for giving workers a genuine alternative to owning a car, it has been claimed.
Policy & Resources’ planning application for an initial 66 unit block for keyworker housing includes 120 parking spaces.
Both the committee and Health & Social Care argue the development is needed to encourage staff to the Island who want to live on the site close to their work and was one factor in rejecting alternatives.
The Better Journeys Project was founded to encourage sustainable travel.
“The residents of this 66 unit block will probably arrive on the Island without a car and the vast majority will be living within a five-minute walk of their work,” said the Project’s directors Barrie Duerden, Richard Agnelli and Mark Smith in a statement.
“In these circumstances, allocating approximately 2800m2 of green field to 120 parking spaces appears inappropriate. Indeed, the proposed car park seems to cover more ground than the accommodation, even after phase 2.
Pictured: Plans show the extent of new car parking proposed at the hospital.
“The site is already perfect for workers at the hospital, but it is also relatively close to the centre of St Peter Port and is very well served by bus routes. Therefore, not including any sustainable travel measures in the plan shows lack of foresight and represents a missed opportunity and is out-of-step with other similar recent development applications like Leale’s yard, Pointues Rocques and all those proposed by the Guernsey Housing Association.”
Pictured: The Better Journeys Project has been promoting alternative transport choices.
They said that if measures like cycle lanes and/or service points for shared mobility were integral to the plan, then the residents’ transport needs could be catered for without recourse to individually owned cars.
“Indeed, shared mobility solutions work particularly well when the residents are shift workers, as envisaged in the application.
“Integrating these solutions would very significantly decrease the car parking footprint that is envisaged, allowing more green space and/or residential units. Indeed, the development could be an exemplar of modern, sustainable, multi-unit accommodation.
“Implementing comprehensive sustainable travel infrastructure here would provide residents with a genuine alternative to buying and running a car which would save them money, improve their mental and physical health and combat the climate crisis.”
Pictured: The site notice at the PEH.
P&R’s application has been made under a planning policy that would allow the field to be built on if the Development & Planning Authority decided it was of strategic importance and there was no better alternative.
The public can make representations about the plan until 10 January, unless the Authority decides to extend the consultation period but that is believed to be increasingly unlikely.
With the ongoing silence from the DPA on any extension to the closing date for public representations on the application relating to the PEH field, I think we need to assume it will be 10 January, now less than two weeks away.
— Steve Falla (@steve_falla) December 28, 2022
Those campaigning against the proposal had wanted more time because the consultation period fell over the holiday period.
In July the States rejected an attempt led by Deputy Falla to protect the land from development.
The application can be viewed at gov.gg/liveplanningapplications.
Its reference number is OP/2022/2321 and the address for the application is Le Bordage Seath, Rue Mignot, Le Vauquiedor, St Andrew’s.
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