Creating a Home within your Home - Dower Units

“My big brother and I were part of the post world war baby boom lasting until the early 1960’s - the original ”baby boomers”.  I loved the harness - our mum was well ahead of her time in terms of health and safety! Whilst my parents worked their socks off taking advantage of increasing optimism and consumerism, my brother and I enjoyed remarkable freedoms by current standards. 

Along with my peers, we embarked on no end of mischief until we finally grew up in our late twenties. At around this time, my father managed to make himself homeless with some less than brilliant negotiations with a new landlord, giving rise to the possibility of us somehow accommodating them. Thankfully my wife agreed to a plan to install them on the ground floor of our house. Generally, it has worked out happily, particularly for our two children with grandma on tap full time.

It got me thinking about Dower Units and how the Planning Service deals with this issue. Planning Advice Note 1 “Dower Units: A Guide to Development” is an excellent piece of work clearly spelling out the issues involved. Unfortunately, it is plastered with warnings not to rely on this information.

Hopefully, the Planners will get round to reviewing the document or at the very least withdraw it until then to avoid confusion all round. The good news is that IDP Policy is generally sympathetic and supports the principle of providing this historical entitlement under Guernsey Law.”

If you are considering helping a long-suffering parent or alternatively are parents rescuing their offspring then we are pleased to say Pete has a vast knowledge within this area to help you. He is always available for an informal chat over the phone (or even coffee!) so please do not hesitate to get in touch - we want to make life easy for you.

Give Pete a call on 07781 103512.