Sea View Investments first applied to develop land surrounding Keppel Tower, on the shore between Seymour and Le Hurel beach slipways, in 2013. While that one and a subsequent proposal were approved, grandmother and nearby resident Mary Herold managed to get both decisions overturned by the Royal Court.
A third application, comprising a scheme for three, three-bedroom homes and 11 two-bedroom apartments, with underground parking on the site, was submitted early last year and in September the Planning Committee refused it – despite a recommendation from the Planning Department for approval.
The applicant appealed the decision and an independent appeal hearing, considered by UK Planning inspector Sue Bell, was held in January this year. In March the then Environment Minister upheld her recommendation to maintain the refusal on the grounds that the development ‘would unreasonably affect the character of the area’.
The first application sought to redevelop a site then comprising Keppel Cottage, Elizabeth Cottage and Maison du Roc to provide 19 apartments. The current application is to demolish Keppel Cottage and Elizabeth Cottage and replace them with a new development of ten apartments – six, two-bedroom and four, three bedroom – over four buildings.
In the application design statement, Morris Architects Ltd says: ‘This planning application considers and addresses the Minister’s reasons for refusal attached to the [previous application] ref: P/2017/0162.
‘It also considers the concerns raised in response to all other applications, and attendant consultations and reports which have been provided, and which are also relevant to this application.’
Sea View Investments is also seeking permission to demolish modern additions to, and restore, Keppel Tower, a Jersey Round Tower known as ‘No 2’ in a line of historic coastal defence towers between La Rocque and the Royal Jersey Golf Course. It is proposed to use the tower for storage but to occasionally open it to the public.
In justifying the latest application, the design statement says: ‘This proposal provides a greatly reduced scale and massing from the previous planning applications, from the original 19 units of accommodation to ten.
‘It is noted that the Planning Department has supported all the previous applications, which proposed a higher density, and this has not been a reason for refusal during the determination within the appeal process.’
