Plans have been submitted to convert five vacant commercial units at Five Oaks into three one-bedroom flats to provide “much-needed” housing in the area.
The application would see the ground-floor units in St Saviour transformed into two one-person flats and one two-person flat.
According to the planning statement, units one to three were previously occupied by Florida Pools, while units four and five “have remained vacant for three years, despite extensive marketing efforts”.
The applicant says the scheme would provide “much-needed residential accommodation” within the built-up area of Five Oaks/Grands Vaux and make “more efficient use of the space while addressing local housing needs”.
In the supporting documents, the decline of traditional showroom retailing was cited as a key reason for the move away from commercial use.
The statement explains that Florida Pools, which specialises in pools, spas and hot tubs, had increasingly relied on online sales rather than walk-in customers.
“Maintaining a physical showroom became increasingly unsustainable, both financially and environmentally,” with “typically only one or two customers monthly” visiting the premises.
The company has since moved out of the site and shifted fully online, although the documents stress that “this transition has not resulted in job losses”.
Planning documents also claim there has been little demand for replacement tenants, despite the property being marketed for more than 18 months through commercial agents and online listings.
The statement says: “This prolonged vacancy highlights the lack of demand for retail or office space in this location.”
If approved, the development would add three flats to the existing building, which already contains five maisonettes on the upper floors.
Applicants say the homes would exceed Jersey’s residential space standards and include private amenity areas, covered bicycle parking and electric vehicle charging points.
The proposals also include turning part of the existing tarmac parking area into private gardens, which the planning statement says would “enhance the aesthetic appeal of the site” and create “a more pleasant environment for both residents and passersby”.
The application argues that converting the existing units, rather than demolishing and rebuilding, would reduce waste and preserve “the embodied carbon within the existing structures”.
The full planning application can be found online.
