Potential L'Aumone development moves to next stage

Tuesday 06 September 2022

The possibility of building up to 22 new homes near L'Aumone has moved a step closer.

The States' Development & Planning Authority yesterday issued an approved development framework for an area of land of around five vergées after undertaking four weeks of public consultation on draft plans earlier this year.

The final development framework is intended "to guide potential development" on land behind L'Aumone House - which makes the corner of Route de Cobo and Rue du Friquet - and at existing neighbouring properties, pictured top and marked in red. 

Any prospective developer will now be expected to follow the guidance in the development framework when making a planning application for the land, which is next to Maison de Quetteville and Maison L'Aumone care homes.

Pictured: Deputy Victoria Oliver, the President of the Development & Planning Authority, which approves and issues development frameworks to guide planning applications. 

"Four existing dwellings constitute the principal buildings on the site, alongside a number of smaller, ancillary domestic structures. L’Aumone House is two-and-a-half storeys with outbuildings of one-and-a-half storeys, whilst Petit Lande, Sherwood and Bru’s Retraite are all one-storey dwellings," said the Development & Planning Authority.

The Authority anticipates that new homes on the site "will range from one-and-a-half to two storeys, although a greater number of storeys may be considered".

"Although not all land within the site is currently available for development, due to the existing dwellings and ownerships, the land associated with the three dwellings Petit Lande, Sherwood and Bru’s Retraite has been included within this development framework to ensure that any development is planned in a comprehensive way. This ensures the development framework does not preclude making effective and efficient use of the land in this area should circumstances change," said the Authority.

"Inclusion of land in this development framework does not in itself imply that the land must be developed, but is intended to avoid piecemeal development and ensure efficient and effective use of the land should such a situation be applicable."

The development framework envisages between eight and 13 new homes if only land at L'Aumone House is developed and between 13 and 22 new homes if the other parcels of land are also included.

The Authority also suggests that "a main site access entrance point should be introduced along Rue du Friquet" if all parcels of land are included in a development application. 

Pictured (clockwise from top left): The view towards the site from Route de Cobo; L'Aumone doctors' surgery, which is near the site and currently being redeveloped and enlarged; the view towards the site from Rue du Friquet; the view onto Rue du Friquet from one of the properties included in the development framework; and L'Aumone House, behind which up to 22 new homes could be built if the development framework encourages a planning application.

A draft development framework for the land was issued at the end of April with four weeks of public consultation.

At that time, several homeowners who live in or near the area of land designated as the L'Aumone local centre in the Island Development Plan spoke sympathetically about building new homes behind L'Aumone House. 

But the Authority said yesterday that "a number of responses to the draft were received from a range of consultees, including States' committees, agencies and the public with a number of concerns raised". These concerns included access to the site and traffic impact, the scale and form of new housing on the site, and the protection of biodiversity. 

"All of the matters raised were fully considered by the Authority and several amendments were made to the draft in response to the comments received before the final development framework was approved," said the Authority.

Development frameworks are required for developments of 20 or more dwellings in main centres and main centre outer areas and 10 or more dwellings in local centres such as L'Aumone.