25 August 2017
The Planning Committee has given the go-ahead for the expansion of a cider business in rural St Ouen.
The owners of La Petite Robeline, La Verte Rue, St Ouen, applied (P/2017/0138) to build a shed for processing cider as part of their business which has been in operation since 2005.
The committee approved a timber shed to consolidate the existing business from three sites on to one, supporting this rural enterprise.
St Lawrence farmer’s development plans deferred
Approval for a farmer’s plans to build self-catering units and a new home on Green Zone land at his St Lawrence farm were deferred by the Planning Committee to allow more time for consideration.
The committee supported the plans at its July meeting but have delayed confirming the decision until they are satisfied that appropriate controls are in place.
All Planning Committee decisions which are contrary to the department recommendation go through a two-step process to ensure the final decision is robust and the right one for Jersey. After the original meeting, the plans are returned to the committee to ensure the reasons for the decision are clarified, as these may be tested at appeal.
The application (PP/2017/0264) concerns a site of approximately 50 vergees of land on La Rue de la Hauteur. It is currently a farm, mainly producing eggs for local sale.
The farmer applied to build a home, plus six units of farm-stay accommodation, storage and a four-car garage.
At the time of the original decision, the committee said that the application presented enormous difficultly in balancing the need to support the rural economy while at the same time protecting the countryside.
The States-approved Island Plan aims to avoid development in the Green Zone without exceptional reasons.
Approval for hotel to self-catering conversion
A guesthouse owner has been given permission to convert their accommodation into self-catering units.
Ocean Walk Guest House on La Route de la Haule, St Brelade applied (P/2017/0616) to turn twenty existing bedrooms into 12 self-catering apartments, adding another storey on to the original building.
The property is within the built-up area where there is a general presumption in favour of development. Parking concerns were raised in six letters of objection to the plans, but the applicants argued the cut in the number of accommodation units would reduce pressure on parking spaces.
No to third extra structure on a Green Zone site
The Planning Committee has refused a home owner permission to erect a shed on their land because it’s the third recent additional structure on the Green Zone site.
The applicant asked the committee to review a refusal of planning permission for a home built in 2015 on an old glasshouse site La Rue des Landes, St John.
Planning policy allows ‘ancillary’ residential structures such as sheds, but this is the third such application (P/2017/0444) since the house was built two years ago, creating an extra 124 square metres of garaging and storage space. The proposed shed would add another 33 square metres of built development to the site.
The committee was were concerned about further incremental development on a countryside site in a Green Zone area.
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