Lawyer welcomes planning appeal for new social housing

Monday 20 March 2017

A specialist planning lawyer has welcomed the decision to allow the Christians Together in Jersey Housing Trust to build new social housing flats in Minden Place.

The plans for 31 flats, and three shops, at 1-2 Minden Place, have now been given the go-ahead by an independent Planning Inspector. They were originally rejected by politicians despite support from the Planning department, the Housing Minister and the Jersey Architecture Commission.

Claire Smith, Ogier's planning and construction law specialist, who was part of the team representing the Trust, said: "I'm particularly pleased that this development to provide much-needed social housing is to go-ahead after the independent inspector gave her verdict that the very special circumstances presented by this particular scheme justified allowing a development without car-parking. The development includes public real improvements for the area, and has been praised by the inspector for its 'high design quality'."

The Planning Applications Committee had raised concerns that the development would be made out of brick, but Waddington Architects submitted a file identifying around 50 other brick buildings in St Helier, some of which are listed by the department as a special part of the Island's heritage.

In addition, the Housing Trust has agreed to provide tree planting and pavement improvements, and to contribute £18,454 as a "Percentage for Art" donation.