22 March 2017
Jersey’s Planning Committee has approved plans for 253 new homes on the Jersey Gas site at Tunnell Street. The committee also approved a new five-storey office development for Esplanade Quarter.
Jersey Gas Company applied for outline permission (PP/2016/1414) to demolish all the existing buildings on its site, and to build 253 homes and two commercial units in four blocks. The application includes 209 parking spaces, 253 bike storage spaces and an area of enclosed public open space.
The plans are in line with the States-approved Island Plan, the North Town Masterplan and planning guidance for the Jersey Gas site.
Appeal
Plans for the site were approved in 2015 and then overturned on appeal last year due to concerns about the impact of the proposed development on nearby homes and on the appearance and character of Tunnell Street.
Jersey Gas submitted revised plans, with further changes to take account of residents’ concerns, including reducing the height of one of the apartment blocks and increasing the number of town houses facing Tunnell Street, and setting the development further back from the street.
The Planning Committee acknowledged concerns expressed by objectors, particularly in relation to overdevelopment of the area, and traffic and parking considerations. Members weighed this against the benefits of the development as a whole in providing new homes in the centre of the town and removing a potentially hazardous commercial use from the site.
Esplanade Quarter building six
At its meeting today, the committee also approved a planning application for building six: an office block on Esplanade Quarter.
The application (P/2016/1876), submitted by the States of Jersey Development Company, is for a five-storey, 101,000 square foot building on the south-west side of the existing Esplanade car park.
The plans include a ground floor café or restaurant, 51 basement car parking spaces and a public open space to the north of the building, linking to the square approved as part of plans for building five. The plans attracted 44 public comments.
An overall masterplan for the Esplanade Quarter was agreed by the States in 2008 and revised in 2011. It consists of plans for 620,000 square feet of office accommodation, 388 homes, a hotel / serviced apartments, shops, restaurants, 1,420 basement parking spaces and the lowering of La Route de la Liberation.
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