We "unanimously object"

Friday 24 January 2020

St Sampson's Douzaine has said it "unanimously objects to the planning application" for the redevelopment of the High School, and has published its reasons for doing so after submitting its comments formally to the Development and Planning Authority.

The Constables and Douzeniers said its concerns are centred on the "size and scale and the lack of credible mitigation of improvements to the existing road traffic infrastructure."

In a lengthy submission to the D&PA, the Douzaine said there was also an overwhelming majority of people who opposed the plans at the parish meeting, held last week at St Sampson's High School.

Pictured: Just two people put their hands up to show support for the planned redevelopment of St Sampson's High School at a parish meeting earlier this month. 

Following the parish meeting, the St Sampson's Douzaine met on Monday evening to discuss the proposed planned redevelopment of the high school, and the feedback to the plans they had received from parishioners.

After that meeting, the Douzaine said they "unanimously object" to the plans and they "believe the application does not meet the requirements of either the Land Planning and Development law or the Island Development Plan (IDP)."

The Douzaine has explained the areas of the IDP it believes the planning application fails to meet in detail HERE.

Pictured: Part of the letter of concerns submitted by the St Sampson's Douzaine. 

The Douzaine's concerns are focused on two areas:

• The likely effect of the development on roads and other infrastructure, traffic and essential services is likely to be profoundly negative.
• The likely effect of the development on the reasonable enjoyment of neighbouring properties is that the development would reduce their enjoyment as access would be severely limited during school time.

Other douzaines, which cover the parishes where pupils who will attend the extended Les Beaucamps High School site live, have also said they are not in support of the planned redevelopment of the site in the Caste.

The Castel Douzaine has also submitted its concerns to the D&PA saying the plans for Les Beaucamps are "unacceptable" and that "while it did not want to praise nor criticise the education model itself, the Parish said it thought traffic plans had not properly been thought out, and that there would not be enough outdoor space after work was done to the school."

Collectively, the four Parish’s which feed into Les Beaucamps; St. Andrews, Torteval, Forest and St.Martins, are holding a joint public meeting on 13 February, where the planned requête being lodged by deputies Andrea Dudley Owen, Carl Meerveld and Robert Prow will be discussed. So far only a draft version of that has been published, which can be read HERE.