Industry news

GHA chief executive announces retirement

Chief executive officer of the Guernsey Housing Association, Steve Williams, has announced that he plans to retire from the organisation in February 2023.

Steve has spent 17 years with the association and has seen it achieve many significant milestones, including providing more than 800 new homes for local residents.

Steve says he is very proud of all that the GHA has accomplished during his tenure: “Some of the most memorable moments have been seeing and hearing about how having a secure affordable home has changed people’s quality of life for the better. I am in no doubt that these successes were made possible thanks to the dedication and hard work of the entire team.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the GHA working with a great staff team, and am now looking forward to more leisure time and less pressure. In the meantime, I have another 12 months to do what we can to help people seeking housing.” The GHA board of directors will soon begin the process of identifying the best candidate to succeed Steve and is aiming to have the new person in post by late summer. Steve will remain in post until February 2023 to ensure an extensive handover.

Chris Hill, chairman of the GHA, said: “Steve will have been with us for almost two decades when he retires, and we are very grateful for his hard work in establishing the operation we have today. He has made a significant contribution to the provision of both social rented and partial ownership housing. Steve’s leadership and collaboration on the board will be greatly missed, and I am very grateful for the significant contribution he has made.”

PF+A expands into Alderney

PF+A Architecture has announced its expansion into the northern island of Alderney. Colin Partridge has been appointed as a consultant to PF+A as he steps down from the architectural practice he founded some 44 years ago in the island. Charlie Hodder will lead this initiative for PF+A and will be a regular visitor with other colleagues from the Guernsey team to assist current and prospective clients with their projects. PF+A has offices in Guernsey and Jersey and provides architectural services across all the Channel Islands.

Charlie Hodder of PF+A said: "This is an interesting time for Alderney with more people moving to the island or looking to improve their homes and businesses. We have several live projects in Alderney and are visiting the island every couple of weeks. We are really looking forward to working with Colin as he retires and to continue to support

the local community by providing high quality architectural design that will enhance Alderney’s built environment."

Colin Partridge is retiring from practice but will work as a consultant to PF+A to ensure that Alderney continues to enjoy a high standard of architectural services. Colin had worked in Guernsey from 1972 before moving to Alderney in 1978. He also served for 22 years as a jurat in the Alderney court, 16 of which as chairman, for which he was appointed an OBE in 2012. Colin said: “I am looking forward to a close working relationship with PF+A to the greater benefit of the Alderney community and future sustainability of the island.”

New appointments at Lovell Ozanne

Lovell Ozanne has recently appointed two new chartered architects to its St Martin’s based practice – Claudia Pozo and Julian Hurley. Claudia qualified as an architect from the University of Ricardo Palma in Lima, Peru before graduating with merit from her master’s degree in architecture from the University of Westminster in London. She joined Lovell Ozanne following nine years working professionally in Lima and London and the firm says she has integrated easily into its design team.

“My interests lie in the residential and commercial sectors,” said Claudia. “My main objective is to respond to the needs of the client while trying to protect the environment and take advantage of its potential. I am excited to work in the island and take advantage of what it can offer.”

Julian graduated from the Universities of Westminster, Kingston and Portsmouth and registered as an architect in 2012. He worked as project architect on a variety of building typologies in central London on contracts up to £10m. Julian returned to Guernsey in 2018 and joined Lovell Ozanne’s studio in late 2021.

Growth at Watts Property

Watts Property has announced the appointment of Teresa Da Costa as head of property management at the firm.

Having recently immigrated from South Africa, Teresa has 25 years industry experience in the commercial property sector. With a strong understanding of property fundamentals, an extensive knowledge in all sectors and a credible history of success in complex lease negotiation and lease restructuring, Jo Watts, managing director of Watts Property, said: “Teresa’s appointment allows us to consolidate the strength of the service we offer to all our clients, particularly in the sphere of property management. It also enables us to release key members of the team to focus on other parts of the business, thereby ensuring we continue to develop our offering in line with market demand.

“Teresa is extremely well respected in her native country across the value chain of brokers, property managers, tenants and landlords. She has also sat on the board of directors for multiple council improvement districts. We are so pleased she has joined us and look forward to working with her to continue maximising value for our clients.”

A new face at Alpha Estates

Following a turbulent year for Alpha Estates, with the passing of its founding director, John Le Tissier, the estate agency says it is moving forward in 2022. Chris Bale has joined friend and director Damian Wood at the firm.

Alongside the new appointment, the firm will benefit from a redesigned website, a spruce up of its Contree Mansell Street office and new telecoms and IT systems. It is also launching an Alderney franchise.

For Damian, while the changes will benefit the firm, its core values will stay the same: “There may have been a lot of changes but our ethos at Alpha Estates will always remain. We are a small company with a big commitment to going the extra mile for our clients. John was always proud that the company was open, approachable and honest and that is the vision we want to continue.”

Despite being a newcomer to the industry, Chris thinks he is in a good position to help with that: “I’ve spent most of my working life in the caring profession so I believe my soft skills are my real strength and will stand me in good stead in this new role. My intuitive nature clearly sees the stresses and strains that come with property sales and I believe my experience will be a real benefit when seeing people through the entire buying and selling process.”

Candie Gardens ticket office restored

The former Candie Gardens ticket office has been restored to its original form after a local contractor, Arthur Leadbeater, volunteered to take on the project. The small building served the island for many years as a ticket office for Candie Gardens and is considered a charming little piece of Guernsey heritage.

When tickets stopped being sold at this location, the ticket office fell into disuse and has been covered in ivy for many years. The abandoned building was uncovered during maintenance of the surrounding area.

The public was very encouraging of the building’s rejuvenation and Agriculture, Countryside & Land Management Services (ACLMS) say they were delighted when local builder, Arthur Leadbeater, kindly offered to restore and repair the derelict building at no charge. The restoration has now been completed and ACLMS has thanked and commended Mr Leadbeater for his work.

Mr Leadbeater organised the project and put in around 400 hours of his own time to restore the ticket office to its former glory, while a number of other contractors also donated time and resources. A great effort was made to try to incorporate the original features of the building. For example, the original coat hooks were able to be kept, rather than replaced, and the same type of heritage bricks were sourced to replace the broken ones that could no longer be used.

It is yet to be determined if the building will be given a use once more or if it will simply stand as a piece of history for islanders and visitors to enjoy.

St Peter Port Conservation Area Character Appraisal approved

The Development & Planning Authority (D&PA) has approved a Character Appraisal for St Peter Port, with the aim of further assisting and enabling positive development in Guernsey’s main town. The Appraisal provides a useful guide to owners, developers, their agents and the public in understanding the character and appearance of an area and in designing development that will respect, conserve and, where possible, enhance it. Towards the end of last year, a Development Framework was approved for the three St Peter Port Regeneration Areas. As these are all within the Conservation Area, the principles in their Development Framework made sure to take account of the Conservation Area. The two documents are therefore closely aligned and the Appraisal now feeds into and informs the Development Framework.

Deputy Victoria Oliver, president of the Development & Planning Authority, said: "Where the Regeneration Area

Development Framework provides specific guidance, the Appraisal provides a broader analysis for how we can conserve and enhance what makes our main town special. This appraisal won't hinder development, instead it is now another document available to developers to assist them and enable positive change that brings social and economic benefit, while preserving what makes Guernsey a great place to live and visit.”

Current planning requirements still in place

Following the recent approval by the States to update the Exemptions Ordinance of the Planning Law, the Planning Service has outlined the process for updating legislation to ensure that islanders understand the current requirements. The proposals were designed to give more flexibility to islanders and simplify the planning process. The States approval means that once the legislation is in force, certain changes to property and land which previously required planning permission will no longer need it. This will be the case for a large number of frequently submitted applications, such as demolition and/or erection of chimneys, installation of external render, electric vehicle charging points, solar panels and changes to existing vehicle access.

Legislation now needs to be drafted, lodged with the Greffier and subsequently further approved by the States before the proposals will come into effect. Until this time it will remain a legal requirement to submit a planning application, pay any corresponding fees, plus anything else which is required under the current law.

Further updates and guidance will be provided by the Planning Service prior to the implementation of the updated Exemptions Ordinance to help individuals understand what these changes will mean for them.

Mont Crevelt breakwater reinstated

Engineers are reinstating a section of the outer wall at Longue Hougue land reclamation site. The rock armour constructed around the outer perimeter of the reclamation site originally joined to the end of an existing breakwater below Mont Crevelt. This formed a continuous outer wall to create an enclosed lagoon, which has gradually been filled in using inert waste materials from local construction and demolition projects.

However, a section of the original breakwater was removed about 20 years ago, during the construction of the St Sampson's marina. Local engineers Geomarine were awarded the contract to carry out the reinstatement works, following a tender process.

Guernsey Waste senior technical adviser, Rob Roussel, said they will ensure the appearance of the new section is consistent with the rest of the breakwater: “The first stage is to create a concrete foundation, to form the base for a reinforced concrete wall that will gradually fill the gap in the breakwater. Then it will be faced with the same rock from the original breakwater, which has been stored since the opening was created. This will ensure that even though it is an engineered solution, once it is finished the new section will have the original appearance."

The reinstatement of the breakwater will enable the completion of the Longue Hougue land reclamation. It is estimated the site has around two years fill life remaining, with the area adjacent to the breakwater opening being the final section to be completed.

Planning permission granted for La Grande Mare

Planning permission has been granted to redesign, improve and expand La Grande Mare Hotel, Vazon, with the hope of bringing significant potential for economic growth and tourism. The planning application for the site proposes the demolition of the existing buildings and driving range, to be replaced with a "Country Club" building containing a golf club, health and fitness club, restaurant and event facilities, 15 self-catering visitor accommodation lodges, a new driving range and academy building with ancillary storage sheds and parking, a new parking area, new access off Le Gele Road and the extension and remodelling of the existing golf course.

Deputy Victoria Oliver, President of the Development & Planning Authority, said: "I'm really pleased to see planning permission granted for this site. It's an application which needed to consider a lot of different elements and which needed to balance enabling of economic and social potential for Guernsey, while also mitigating any environmental impact. Taking into account all the assessments, representations and comments received, it was concluded that the balance of consideration rests very clearly in favour of the proposals and we're excited to see the benefits this development will bring to our local community."

Draft Development Framework prepared for the Mallard

To aid the development of additional extra-care accommodation, nursing and residential homes, a draft Development Framework has been prepared for a potential specialised housing development at the Mallard, Rue De La Villiaze, Forest. Once finalised, the Development Framework will provide guidance for how the site can be developed. This includes, but is not limited to, local needs, provision of space, biodiversity and access arrangements.

This Development Framework uses a new template which aims to provide a more focused and succinct document that draws out the key points for the site through the site analysis and development guidelines sections.

The Mallard site is located within the Airport Consultation Zone and the majority of the site falls within the Forest West Local Centre, as identified within the Island Development Plan. The overall site area is approximately 2.4 hectares (14.6 vergées); c.0.98 hectares of the southerly area lies in an Agriculture Priority Area and outside the Local Centre Boundary and is therefore not considered as part of the Development Framework.

Following consultation, the comments received together with the documents will then be considered by the Development & Planning Authority. If approved by the Authority, the Development Framework will become Supplementary Planning Guidance and will be taken into account when considering development proposals for the site.