A PLAN to turn a guesthouse in St Aubin’s Bay into flats is facing objections from heritage groups and the government.
The proposals include transforming the three-storey, 11-bedroom Lyndhurst Guest House on Route de la Haule into five two-bedroom units spread across four storeys.
The applicant is also hoping to create six parking spaces.
In a letter published on the government’s planning website, the National Trust for Jersey say: ‘The current property has a similar height to its neighbours, at three storeys, and the proposed development increases this to four storeys, which has a negative impact.
‘Furthermore, in our view the contemporary design of the building does not sit well within the architectural context of the existing streetscape.
‘For these reasons please accept this letter as an objection to the proposed development.’
In a separate letter, Alastair Layzell, founder member of Save Jersey’s Heritage, says the application is not a remodelling of an existing building, but rather the ‘creation of a new building’.
He writes: ‘The flat roof and contemporary design is alien to the area, which is comprised of traditional forms and pitched roofs.
‘The two roof terraces on the fourth floor will be prejudicial because they will allow those using them to overlook the gardens of Villa Nuova and Villa Eden.
‘The applicant cannot comply with sight lines needed to safely gain access to the main road – as the transport section of the Infrastructure Department has commented.’
He adds that the development would ‘harm the environment and damage the historic nature of it’.
‘I would urge you to look at the location not in isolation but in the overall context of this part of St Brelade, which comprises not only Villa Nouca but also Floriana and Waldegrave as part of a run of Victorian villas between St Aubin and Beaumont,’ he says.
The transport section of the Infrastructure, Housing and Environment Department has also objected to the plans.
‘It is highly likely that no visibility near to the standards required can be achieved without encroaching over third-party land,’ they say.
‘Given visibility is constrained, IHE-T would not accept any more vehicles than presently parked on the site for highway safety and network performance reasons. IHE-T would support a zero-car development, given opposite is the main cycle route between St Aubin and St Helier, the site is near bus stops served by quality bus routes and close to local amenities. If parking is insisted upon, the two spaces will need to be provided with electric charging vehicle points,’ they add.
