Former Chief Minister criticises refusal of three-flat development

Friday 15 March 2024

The former Chief Minister has publicly slammed the new Planning Committee's "very disappointing" decision to refuse a housing development and bus stop at Beaumont.

Kristina Moore took to social media yesterday to express her disappointment at the rejection of the project – which would have seen a two-bedroom bungalow in St Peter turned into three flats, and added a bus shelter on Route de la Haule.

The project was rejected by the Planning Committee at its meeting yesterday.

Pictured: The development was refused for harming the "character and appearance" of the area, as well as lacking bike parking spaces

Deputy Moore said it was "very disappointing" to see the "sensitive" plans – which included the creation of one three-bedroom flat and a pair of two-bedroom flats – knocked back, describing housing as a "critical issue in our community".

She explained: "The architect and developer will go back to the drawing board, but that means more cost and either smaller or fewer homes delivered, which again pushes up the cost."

Referencing the island's need for 4,500 extra homes, Deputy Moore added: "We need to build more homes. For years a lack of supply has pushed up prices."

Deputy Moore explained that only two members of the committee had supported the plans – with others claiming that the size and scale of the development was the issue.

She wrote: "They seemed to forget that there is a massive block of flats behind on the marsh!" 

Pictured: The proposed bus shelter at Beaumont was also refused as part of the plans.

Deputy Moore also lamented that refusing the planning application also prevented a bus shelter from being built at this location – a stop she claimed was used by 9,000 people annually.

The reasons given for refusing the development were its "mass, scale and form", which the Planning Committee said "would be visually discordant and incongruous with, and harmful to, the character and appearance of the surrounding built environment".

It added that the development did not meet the requirements for dedicated bicycle parking.