The Channel Island’s Co-operative Society is seeking planning approval to acquire land earmarked for affordable housing behind the Co-op Locale on the former De La Mare Nurseries site in Grouville. It also wants to widen the entrance on to Rue à Don.
‘The existing arrangement for vehicles exiting the car park has proven to be very tight and has frequently led to blockages when vehicles turn too widely when leaving the parking area,’ architects Axis Mason say in the application’s design statement.
‘For this reason, the applicant wishes to widen the entrance and the turning into the car park. However, this would require the removal of one of the existing parking spaces.
‘As the current car park is used to full capacity at peak times, the applicant seeks to address this by extending the car park into a “landlocked” area which would result in a net gain of seven parking spaces.’
The architects go on to explain that the ‘landlocked’ area is a parcel of land within the new first-time buyer homes estate that is nearing completion next to the store. It is located at the northern corner of the car park and the neighbouring private road, Paddock End, but has not been incorporated into the housing development.
Axis Mason says that although the land is zoned for first-time-buyer homes, it should be considered for the car park extension.
‘The only access which remains feasible is through the car park of the Co-op Locale store. Although the parcel of land remains zoned as a Category A housing site, the area in question can no longer be developed for that purpose.’
