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Funding has been allocated to develop four new Draft Development Frameworks to kickstart the regeneration of three areas in Town, and one on the Bridge.
These are identified areas where a co-ordinated and flexible approach to planning of mixed use development can 'achieve the economic and social strategic objectives of the States of Guernsey'.
The money was put aside by Policy & Resources, which approved the move in its meeting at the end of July.
The areas are:
Pictured: Leale's Yard, which is owned by the Co-op, has been earmarked for development for some time now. A future States debate could see the governmentnt assist the private company in getting things off the ground.
Redevelopment, a spokesperson for Policy & Resources said, was already being encouraged in these areas, and they provided opportunities for investment within flexible planning rules.
Deputy Gavin St Pier, President of the Policy & Resources Committee, said: “The Policy & Resources Committee are committed to ensuring these areas are developed beneficially and that the public have the opportunity to review and comment on the proposals before they are formally submitted as a planning application.
"In addition, each area will benefit from mixed-use development and the collaborative working which the Development Frameworks will enable. We are delighted that the Development & Planning Authority are ready, willing and able to crack on with this important step and we were pleased to help facilitate this by supporting their request for additional funding.”
Draft Development Frameworks have more often than not been about developing an area of land with housing, but these Frameworks could see public areas regenerated.
Development Frameworks set out the issues and opportunities for each area and ensure that schemes are well planned from the outset in accordance with the policies of the IDP.
In order to produce Development Frameworks for smaller sites such as housing developments, the D&PA work with the private sector. However, for the Regeneration Areas a more substantial amount of expertise and resource is required and therefore, it is expected that this will be obtained off-island in order to accommodate or assist with such work.
Mansell Street backs on to Mill Street, which itself backs on to Market Street. Market Street has just been repaved, a treatment many say the rest of the area is in dire need of.
It is anticipated that each Development Framework will cost in the region of £50k - £100k, depending on complexity, totalling between £200k and £400k. The D&PA is expected to underspend its 2019 budget by approximately £100k, as a result of forecast income being ahead of budget, which will be utilised to part-fund the Development Frameworks. The Policy & Resources Committee have agreed to make funding available from the Budget Reserve in 2019 and 2020 to fund the amount that cannot be met within the forecast underspend and potential fee income.
Deputy Dawn Tindall, President of the Development & Planning Authority, said: “The Development & Planning Authority is extremely grateful to the Policy & Resources Committee for their support to ensure we can produce the four Development Frameworks as soon as possible and that for Leale’s Yard hopefully by the end of 2019.
"The four Regeneration Areas will significantly benefit from a co- ordinated and focused approach to development which will enable the early realisation of opportunities in the four Areas and may also result in further investment elsewhere on the Island. Each area has its own issues and opportunities and we look forward to working with the private sector and others to implement the vision for the future of Town and the Bridge.”
Pictured top: The Lower Pollet one of the areas now earmarked for regeneration.
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