Call for housing sites under Guernsey development plan

Deputy Victoria Oliver said the land for housing and businesses needed to be in the right place

Islanders are being asked to identify sites on which housing could be built as part of a review of the Island Development Plan (IDP).

The Development and Planning Authority (DPA) is undertaking a review of the plan, providing an overarching policy for how space in the island is used.

The authority is searching for areas where buildings could be placed for housing or for "employment uses".

If added to the IDP planning permission would still have to be sought.

The DPA is looking at developments in the next 10 years to ensure there is a sufficient supply of sites to meet the island's needs.

Proposed sites should be within or near the Main or Local Centres defined in the IDP but if not enough land is identified for the island's needs then sites outside these areas will be considered.

'Right place'

Any housing sites must be at least 0.25 acres (0.1 hectares or 0.6 vergée) and capable of holding at least five dwellings while employment land, which includes offices, industry and storage uses, can be of any size.

Permission from the landowner is needed before sites are submitted. The deadline for submissions is 13 October.

Islanders will be able to comment on the amendments to the IDP.

Deputy Victoria Oliver, DPA President, said: "It is important that we have enough land available to meet our housing need as agreed by the States in February as well as our employment need.

"We want that land to be in the right place so it can support the Spatial Strategy of developing first in the Main Centres and Local Centres.

"Only if we cannot find enough land within or adjacent to centres will we consider other locations.

"Wherever possible we will avoid allocating greenfield sites."

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