THE parish of St Lawrence has applied to increase its stock of sheltered accommodation by creating two additional units behind the parish hall, having discarded a more ambitious scheme to build ten new units.
Following objections from parishioners and residents over the demolition of five existing bungalows, the parish has now applied for planning permission for a more modest scheme that would replace one building that does not meet modern standards with two new units of sheltered accommodation. The plans also involve refurbishment of the Militia Hall to create a new meeting room for the parish.
“We have five bungalows which would have been demolished to create accommodation on two floors but we recognised that we could not just demolish buildings in good condition,” Constable Deidre Mezbourian explained, saying that the revised scheme would create a new meeting room in the refurbished hall to supplement the main assembly room.
“It will be available for general meetings because the other existing room – what we call our committee room – is up a tight staircase and difficult to access for the elderly. We looked at the possibility of a lift but it was impractical in a Grade Two listed building,” she explained.
Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the opening of the parish’s existing stock of sheltered accommodation for which the Constable said there was growing demand.
If permission is granted for the two new units, a parish meeting will be called to secure approval for the revised approach. “What we will be proposing is funding the work principally from sheltered housing funds and not through raising parish rates,” Mrs Mezbourian added.
In his design statement for the scheme, architect Harris Collie says they have consulted closely with the government’s historic environment team and with the Jersey Architecture Commission.
“We feel confident that this current proposal goes a long way to satisfying the parish’s demands in terms of providing the right mix of buildings that their brief required. The proposals are sensitive to the site and enhance the character of the whole site,” he states.
