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Questions persist over Fort Richmond saga

Questions persist over Fort Richmond saga

Wednesday 04 September 2024

Questions persist over Fort Richmond saga

Wednesday 04 September 2024


The dispute over land ownership at Fort Richmond appears to have been resolved, but questions remain over the role the States played in the confusion in the first place.

Members of the Allez family have lived on the headland adjacent to Fort Richmond for decades but a boundary line was allegedly moved - dissecting their property - when Fort Richmond itself was sold in 2019.

The family are reported to have settled their dispute with the owners of Fort Richmond.

Parcels of land have recently changed hands between the Allez family and Bembridge Ltd which owns Fort Richmond.

This has ensured the Allez family have guaranteed access to their home and property while Julian Mountain; who is a Director of Bembridge Ltd and who lives at Fort Richmond, has been able to buy additional undeveloped land in the area.

At least one of these parcels of land changed hands for just £1. Other media reports suggest £10,000 was paid for another piece of land.

Fort Richmond

Pictured: Sale details taken from Savills.gg.

The Allez family have had the support of Deputy Andrew Taylor in their fight to maintain full access to their home and surrounding land. 

He used this morning's States debate to ask Deputy Lyndon Trott about the role the States has played in the saga.

Referencing a statement issued earlier this year, in which the Policy and Resources Committee said that the States had sold Fort Richmond and "all land and buildings on the site in the ownership of the States of Guernsey at that time", Deputy Taylor sought clarification on what he called "an inaccurate and wholly misleading statement".

Deputy Trott - speaking on behalf of the States Property Unit which reports to P&R - said he did not believe the statement was misleading, and he further reiterated his confidence in the States staff involved in the sale of Fort Richmond.  

"I don't believe for a moment the statement was inaccurate or misleading," he said.

"This would have been constructed by the State's Property Unit. They would have taken the relevant advice from the Law Officers, I would assume, certainly they would have had knowledge of the correspondence that took place prior to this conveyance.

"So whilst my friend Deputy Taylor is keen to use emotive language of that type, I utterly refute that anyone has been misled by the States Property Unit."

READ MORE...

EXPLAINER: Fort Richmond, then and now

Neighbourly dispute leads to arrest

Fort Richmond 'under offer'

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