THE approval of plans to build a 37-home estate in St John has been heralded as “excellent news” for the Island by the Assistant Housing Minister.
The Planning Committee yesterday unanimously backed plans for the development of three two-bedroom, 31 three-bedroom, and three four-bedroom homes in Sion Village.
The development – adjacent to Grande Route de St Jean and next to the Sion Methodist Church – is the first to be approved on sites that were earmarked for affordable homes in the Bridging Island Plan.
This means the properties will be eligible for an assisted-purchase scheme.
The approval comes despite strong resistance from Sion Village residents who commented publicly on the application, saying there was “real potential to significantly and permanently harm the setting and character” of the village.
Concerns were also raised about conservation, traffic, wildlife – and the fact that each house on the new estate will have only one parking space. Assistant Housing Minister Carina Alves said: “This is excellent news as the site will deliver 37 much-needed family homes for first-time buyers and rental.
“This has been made possible as a result of planning officers, the applicant and consultees working together in a way that enabled the Planning Committee to reach a unanimous decision.
“In line with the government’s Common Strategic Policy commitment, we aim to deliver more affordable homes for Islanders.”
Housing Minister Sam Mézec was unavailable for comment because he was travelling to Saint Helena for the British Islands and Mediterranean Region Conference.
Ben Cairney, chief executive of developer Ashbe, also hailed the unanimous decision as “fantastic news for all Islanders”.
He hoped to have spades in the ground as soon as three to four months from now, and the development completed in early 2026.
The plans include gardens, plus new vehicle and pedestrian access, and almost a third of the site will be given to the parish and dedicated to public use.
The communal open space could feature a pétanque court, orchard, rain garden, herb garden and playground for older children.
The plans were amended to remove one three-bedroom unit and to enhance boundary landscaping for “ecological and sustainability” reasons.
Mr Cairney had previously said that architects had to make changes following the delayed release of supplementary planning guidance in November, which meant that parking requirements had to be “greatly” reduced from two to one per home, with additional space used for extra landscaping and visitor parking.
He said these met residential space standards, adding: “Approving developments on these rezoned sites is a really important part of building more affordable homes for Islanders.”
Philip Johnson, who has lived in Sion Village for 39 years, spoke to the JEP about his concerns about the new estate.
He said: “It’s too large a development, and it’s squashed the houses in there to the detriment of parking spaces.
“The development doesn’t affect me immediately, but for someone in this area that’s not near nursery schools or primary schools to have only a single parking space is not forward-thinking. I wouldn’t want to live there.
“Everybody appreciates the need for housing, but what they’ve put up seems to be an excessive amount of housing without thinking about the people that have to live in them.”
The rezoning and subsequent sale of the once agricultural field in 2022 sparked calls from then Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf for a windfall tax to recover some of the profits.
The field was believed to have been worth about £70,000 before it was rezoned for housing, but was eventually sold for £3.55 million.
