A THIRD attempt to turn part of the former Nude Dunes restaurant into holiday accommodation should be rejected, planning officers have said, concluding that the controversial plans “comfortably fail” key planning policies.
The highly contentious plans for the prominent La Pulente site are due to go before the Planning Committee next Thursday – the latest chapter in a long-running battle over the future of the former restaurant which has previously sparked hundreds of objections, a public protest, enforcement action and appeals.
The latest application sought to convert the indoor restaurant area into a two-bedroom self-catering unit while retaining a smaller café using the existing commercial kitchen and outdoor terraces.
But in a newly published report, planning officers have recommended refusal, concluding that the third attempt is “essentially” the same development concept, “which has been refused planning permission on previous occasions”.
The report noted that the application attracted 68 representations – only seven of which were in support.
Supporters, including Jersey Business and the Jersey Hospitality Association, argued that combining a café with tourist accommodation offered a viable way of bringing the empty building back into economic use.
“As an Association, we firmly believe that every responsible investment within Jersey’s hospitality and tourism sector , whether a major hotel development or a smaller independent visitor experience , contributes to the resilience, diversity and long- term sustainability of our industry,” co-JHA chief executives Ana and Marcus Calvani wrote.
The government’s Economy team had also backed the scheme, saying the mixed use was expected to have “greater economic benefit” than the vacant restaurant and could reduce the risk of the site remaining empty.
However, objectors argued that little had changed from previously rejected proposals, that the building should remain available for public hospitality use and that allowing accommodation could lead to the “incremental domestication” of the prominent coastal site.
Planning officers also noted that no marketing or commercial information had been provided as part of the application to demonstrate that there was demand for a restaurant or other daytime and evening economy use.
Although the kitchen and outside terrace are being marketed for a café operator, officers noted that the indoor restaurant area – which would become the holiday let – is excluded.
They also raised concerns that the proposed café would have no indoor seating, meaning its operation would be limited by the weather, while access would be via steps and could therefore exclude some people with disabilities, despite a key Island Plan policy -managing the health and wellbeing impact of new development – requiring developments to “have regard to the needs of people with disabilities”.
The report went on to note that reopening the public toilets – previously cited as one of the potential benefits of the redevelopment – may now be unlikely because of drainage and public-liability insurance complications.
Concluding that the development should be refused, the report stated that the “proposals comfortably fail to satisfy the requirements” of policies protecting daytime and evening economy uses and governing visitor accommodation, the report stated.
“The application fails to demonstrate that there is no market demand for the continued use of the premises for daytime and evening economy use and fails to deliver environmental improvement, or protection of the Protected Coastal Area and Coastal National Park, by virtue of the proposed domestication of a highly prominent and visible building in a very sensitive landscape setting,” the report said.
“The application also fails to demonstrate that the adverse effects of the loss of daytime and evening economy uses are outweighed by an overall benefit to the community.
“The application site lies outside of the built-up area, is not within a tourism destination area, does not involve the re-use or conversion of traditional farm buildings and does not provide a viable use for listed buildings.”
The new Planning Committee is due to consider the application at its public meeting on Thursday 17 September, with the Nude Dunes application scheduled from 11.15am.
