PLANS to demolish a five-bedroom coastal property in St Brelade and replace it with a new development almost twice as large have won planning approval.
At the Planning Committee’s October meeting, held at the government office in Union Street, members voted by five to one in favour of supporting an officer’s recommendation to approve the application by Chloë Bowler.
The proposed scheme covered the demolition of the existing five-bedroom, two-storey house named Rochemont at Les Ruisseaux, which has a total floor space of 289 square metres and is described in the planning officer’s report as having been vacant for several years.
Committee members heard that the property occupied a prominent elevated position above Ouaisné Bay, on a site with “dramatic topography, granite geology, coastal setting, terraced gardens, panoramic sea views and prominent position within the landscape”.
The application covered the development of a three-storey, five-bedroom dwelling of 559sq-m, including an integrated garage and swimming pool.
More than 20 objections were received, with the officer’s report noting issues including the excessive size and scale of the proposed dwelling, overdevelopment of a sensitive and prominent site, as well as noise and disruption during construction.
The conclusion to the report found that the applicant had demonstrated that the existing dwelling was in poor condition, suffering from significant structural, moisture-related and safety defects.
The majority of the committee agreed with the recommendation that the application be granted after taking account of the Bridging Island Plan together with other relevant policies and material considerations, including the consultations and representations received.
