Planners have given the green light for a warehouse, which has stood empty since the end of 2023, to be demolished and redeveloped into two industrial storage buildings.
Chastleton Property Ltd now has permission to partially demolish the existing structure which includes three residential flats and erect two new buildings with around 1,000sqm of extra floor space for storage and distribution.
Vehicle access can also be rerouted along the site’s south boundary, with a new parking area created.
Planning noted that while some accommodation would be lost, residential units were unsuited to the key industrial zone under the island development plan and these units are in a state of disrepair.
“The agent advises that the flats have been uninhabited for 28 years and are in poor condition. The condition of the flats in themselves does not demonstrate that they could not be upgraded to provide satisfactory living conditions,” it said in its decision notice.
“There is no way of knowing for certain what impacts and what level of mitigation are therefore needed to ensure satisfactory living conditions. Given its designation as a Key Industrial Area, it is accepted that there is no reasonable way of upgrading the accommodation to mitigate the potential impacts on their living conditions.”
Planners also noted that there would be a loss of two trees along the main road but said “the alterations to the roadside boundaries and the replacement soft landscaping have the potential to enhance the character and appearance of the area”.
They added that the proposed changes to vehicle access and parking would enhance road safety and traffic management.
A landscaping scheme, and agreements over cladding and wall materials, must be submitted to the Development & Planning Authority.
One representation was received by a neighbouring property but they did not object to the works.
But they said they would only agree to building on top of an existing boundary wall once conveyancing had been completed.
You can read the full decision HERE.