La Marquanderie Inn and the Treehouse Restaurant closed this time last year after insufficient demand led to them making a £2 million loss. The business was then sold by a subsidiary of the Liberation Group to La Marquanderie Holdings.
Kevin Welford, a representative of the company, initially submitted plans to open a car dealership on the green-zone site but, amid a public backlash against the idea, withdrew them.
A new application to open a horticultural laboratory within the pub and restaurant buildings has now been lodged.
The JEP yesterday made efforts to contact the applicant through his architect about what species of plant the lab might deal with but did not receive a response at the time of going to print.
However, the plans include installing a 2.4-metre security fence within part of the site and rooms referred to in the submitted proposals include a breeding research nursery, dry store and analytics lab. It is proposed that the fencing will be screened by an evergreen hedge. No new buildings are due to be constructed.
An extract from the design statement accompanying the application says: ‘Whilst there is a presumption against development of land within the green zone it is noted that we do intend to retain the existing building and, whilst we are applying for a change of use, we do wish to keep this land as economical use land – with an extension of the existing mesh security fence to the perimeter of the property in order to secure the horticultural laboratory kit, which is of significant value.
‘Whilst retaining the economical use of the land, there will be a huge decrease in intensification of the use of the land due to the reduced number of employees and visitors coming to and from the site, in comparison to a 134+ [person] seated restaurant.’
It adds: ‘The reduction in [the] use of the site will benefit the natural landscape around and also [minimise] the congestion within St Brelade’s Bay itself.’
