Residents share views on housing plans

Some 130 affordable homes could be built on fields in St Peter

Parishioners have been asking architects about plans to close part of a road in a village in Jersey and build 130 homes.

The States has already agreed to rezone the three protected fields near St Peter so affordable homes can be built, but developers still need planning permission.

Architects have been meeting parishioners this week to answer their questions about the development

A further parish meeting will be held to decide if part of La Verte Rue can be closed to traffic and drivers diverted through the planned new housing estate.

'Too big'

There are also plans for another 42 homes on two fields close by, but the Constable of the parish Richard Vibert believes the infrastructure can cope.

He said: "If you think of the total number of houses - I think it was around 2,200 units agreed in the Island Plan and a 130 of those are in St Peter so as a percentage - yes it's a rural parish but it's probably about right."

Parishioner Jane Jones said she thought it was "a lot of houses to build".

She added: "Obviously they have to build somewhere, but that's too big a development."

Resident Elaine McKenna said the housing situation was critical.

"As much as a shame it is to use the fields the housing situation is just critical in Jersey," she said.

John Refault said parishioners were concerned about the size of the development

'Wound up'

The former Constable of St Peter, John Refault, said he was supportive of more homes in the parish but did not think people had been consulted properly on changes to La Verte Rue.

He said: "The downside is a lot of parishioners are already being wound up by the sheer size of the development that's likely to be going here, hopefully for first time buyers in particular, and that's going to be prejudicial to things going forward because it's not been properly handled."

The Deputy of St Peter, Kristina Moore, added: "For example one woman was surprised and quite shocked that the new road that's being proposed will be created right opposite her house and no one had come to tell her."

The BBC has contacted developers Godel Architects for comment.