Oatlands Lane vineries to become industrial yards

Local residents want to keep the site as designated agricultural land

Plans to transform agricultural land in Guernsey into two open yards and 16 storage units have been approved, despite local concerns.

Proposals to build on the Domarie and Avondale Vineries on Oatlands Lane in St Sampson were submitted in 2017.

The site currently consists of horticultural buildings, glasshouses and a field.

One amendment to the plans was made, removing permission for a skip lorry to access the site.

Approval by the Development and Planning Authority was initially deferred at an open meeting in August to resolve questions about road safety.

The plans were approved despite objections from neighbours of the site

Most objections raised at the second open meeting were safety concerns about vehicle entry and exit to the area.

The three issues that needed to be addressed were:

• The volume and type of vehicle accessing the site

• Safety concerns and possible disruption of a cycle path

• Potential for access from a larger road to the north east

According to the original planning application, the redevelopment would result in about 55 vehicle entries and exits of the site per day, including heavy goods vehicles.

The meeting heard that this would be fewer vehicles than if the site were still being used for horticultural purposes.

The vineries have been abandoned for years

Resident Heidi Tredellis-King said safety was "not only about the number of vehicles, it is about the number of people walking".

However, long-term resident Chris Robinson said when the site was in use the majority of vehicles exited onto a main road to the north east.

He added that the proposals were "unsuitable" without this access.

This potential access was dismissed because no discussions were had with the owner of the land over which vehicles would have to pass.