The owners of the former Batterie Mirus Mess have been given permission to convert the war time building to create seven new residential units.
Mr and Mrs Gallichan had asked for permission to do the work last summer and they were given a positive response last month, meaning they now have three years to start the work.
The couple’s original plans have been altered, as they had asked to create eight new residential units there.
After amending their plans, they’ve now got permission to create 2x one bedroom dwellings, 2x two bedroom dwellings, 1x three bedroom dwelling and 2x four bedroom dwellings.
In giving permission for the conversion, the Planning Officers have recognised the “historic interest” of the site and any work there must also reflect that, they said.
This will include the provision of ‘site intpretation’ boards so that passing members of the public and visitors can understand what the buildings were previously used for.
Because of that historic importance, the developers won’t be able to change any of the external walls, windows, doors, the roof, porch, extension, or chimney stack, without specific permission which would have to be applied for separately.
The Batterie Mirus was built by the German occupying forces using slave labour during World War Two. The Mess is a single storey building, near to the main Batterie site.
Both are near to La Houguette Primary School, with the Mess in private ownership, but the Batterie Mirus itself is maintained by Festung Guernsey – a group of volunteers “with an interest in WWII fortifications”.
The group’s aim is “to make available to the public and visiting historic societies and academics examples of the most important fortifications built in Guernsey by the German occupying forces 1940-45”.
Batterie Mirus was the largest battery to be installed in the Channel Islands during the Occupation. It has four 30.5cm gun emplacements, and each had their own ammunition stores, plant rooms, and crew accommodation for seventy-two men.
The Mess has previously been used as self-catering visitor accommodation.
Other than that, the Planning Officers found the Mess was “redundant” and agreed with the conversion to permanent residential units.
“The building has had no use since World War II when it was a mess for the Mirus
Battery and consequently it is accepted that the building is redundant,” said the planning permission.