St Peter Port bears the brunt of building

Wednesday 10 April 2019

Guernsey’s residents need to stop imagining a “split” between the north and south of the island, according to the Environment and Infrastructure President.

A number of preliminary plans for residential properties in St Sampson and the Vale have recently been approved, causing backlash from some people who believe there is already too much development in the area.

However, St Peter Port South representative, Deputy Barry Brehaut, believes locals should look at the situation in his parish before criticising decisions made in the north.

“What we have to get away from is this idea that the north of the island is under siege from development,” he said. “If I had grown up in the Vale, what is wrong with me wanting to remain in the Vale in my own property?”

Deputy Brehaut was speaking following the publication of the most recent Annual Residential Property Stock Bulletin, which looks at changes in Guernsey’s domestic property stock over the course of the last year.

The Bulletin shows by the end of 2018, 32.9% of all property units were concentrated in St Peter Port, with 14.4% in St Sampson and 14.7% in the Vale. St Peter Port also saw the highest net change in its total number of units, which went up by 152. St Sampson had the second highest with 32.

“If people are going to oppose development they need to do it on an evidence-based process,” continued Deputy Brehaut. “This has been the case for some time.”
The recent Bulletin also highlighted St Peter Port’s high property density, which rose by 24 units per square metre in 2018. That takes the total to 1,399 – more than double the density of any other parish.

Deputy Brehaut believes there are “clear benefits” to building more housing in the area.

“200 metres from where I live there are 26 units under construction. They are needed and there’s clearly a market for them. Local people are going to need somewhere to live.”

With many people working in St Peter Port South, the E&I President is also hopeful increased housing in the parish will reduce the number of cars on our roads.
Deputy Brehaut believes housing has been “on the back burner” for some time and is calling for a balance.

“We need to build the right sort of properties,” he said. “Don’t build for the top if the demand is somewhere in the middle. If you have an active market with turnover, that can release affordable properties.”

Pictured top: St Peter Port.