Peter Falla, Group Director of PF+A comments on the Island Development Plan (IDP) Review.

Peter Falla, Group Director of PF+A comments on the Island Development Plan (IDP) Review.

The Development & Planning Authority are currently reviewing certain parts of the Island Development Plan (IDP), issued in 2016 which, although due in 2021, was delayed by the States of Guernsey until now because of Covid.


An important part of this review will be to assess whether there is sufficient provision for housing at the moment; although it is clear that there is a dire shortage of available properties to buy or rent which will ultimately stagnate growth and damage our economic prospects.


Clearly the Planners have no control over what housing is actually built, with a significant number of approved sites not proceeding for various reasons. A good example is Leales Yard where numerous schemes have come and gone with little sign of "spades in the ground". A further attempt to breathe life into this part of St Sampson's is currently being considered in the planning process…but look out for slow worms in more ways than one!


Note that currently under IDP Policy there may also be potential now for small scale industrial or storage development or even extension of curtilage depending of course on the merits of any particular site.


Policy and Resources President Peter Ferbrache and Deputy Steve Falla have publicly stated that they would like to see some relaxation of the established Planning policies to allow residential development in place of derelict greenhouses outside of the centres.


La Societe Guernesaise and the National Trust are strongly opposed to any such moves on what is in effect agricultural land...and many people support that view.


This is also in conflict with the Island's Spatial Strategy which is to direct housing development in and around the centres of St Peter Port and St Sampsons/ Vale. (Also to a limited extent the Local Centres such as Cobo.)


It will be interesting to see how this plays out and I would expect that our Planners may decide to add another local centre with Capelles a hot favourite since it just missed out last time round in 2016.


In my view it is likely to be too controversial to allow wholesale development of former vinery sites...but, there may be some hope for sites close to local or main centres.


The next stage will be a "call for sites" from the Planning Department and there will be no restrictions on which sites can come forward. We are awaiting confirmation of timings...but it's not quite yet!


Should you need support when the time comes PF+A has set up a dedicated service which will assess each site and arrange submission of the required documentation to the Authority.


Hopefully some opportunities will transpire, and some progress is made on alleviating the housing shortage.

Contact

Guernsey Studio

Guelles Court
Guelles Lane
St Peter Port
Guernsey
GY1 2DD

9am - 5:30pm   |   01481 712633

contact@pfaarchitecture.com

Jersey Studio

12 Britannia Place
Bath Street
St Helier
Jersey
JE2 4SU

9am - 5:30pm   |   01534 767950

contact@pfaarchitecture.com

Chloe Whitmore

E: chloe.whitmore@pfaarchitecture.com

T: 01481 712633

Chloe is the first point of contact in the Guernsey studio. She has moved from a career of more than 20 years in the legal profession to managing a creative environment and its people - a welcome change for her! Her experience and legal background are a great asset for the Group.

Ollie Muston MCIAT

E: ollie.muston@pfaarchitecture.com

T: 01481 712633

Having been educated and grown up in Guernsey and developing a passion for technical design work, information technology and an intrigue for building design and history during his GCSE years, Oliver decided to commence his career in 1999 as an Architectural Technologist with Lovell Ozanne one of the largest architectural practices in the Channel Islands,  During those first inspiring 9 years he gained his BTEC HNC qualification increasing his fundamental experience and developing his knowledge base by working on multi-million pound commercial and residential developments including, Mixed Use and Redevelopment Areas (MURA), offices, apartments and industrial units.  

Moving to the States of Guernsey’s Property Services Team in 2008, Oliver was able to learn invaluable working skills and practices, increasing his expanding skillset in tendering and contract administration, whilst having the opportunity to work on public buildings and the differing challenges brought about by these types of projects. These projects encompassed education premises, States buildings with high security requirements, projects at the airport and harbours and fully accessible health facilities.  Full Accessibility audits for the health facilities became a prominent project for Oliver as his career progressed and he carried out a number of audits and reports for substantial business within the Island.

Now with a total of 21 years’ experience within the industry, his expansive knowledge not only covers all areas of a very vast field, but includes all aspects of a project from inception right through to the final handover of a completed project; which, for Oliver is the most rewarding experience. 

Oliver’s exceptional wealth of knowledge has lead him to gain his chartership with the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists and was formally invited to become an Interview Assessor for the Institute in 2015, a position limited to only a small number and in which someone can only be invited by the Institute.  Oliver completed the necessary assessor training a few months later.  

Ever striving to continue growing and expanding his professional knowledge, Oliver is a driven member of PF+A and one of the top in his field. With his professional yet friendly approachable nature he is an individual able to facilitate and communicate to clients, contractors, sub-contractors and other third parties to ensure that a project is always the best it can be.  Internally an exceptional trainer to the less experienced members of the team with an ease of teaching methods to ensure an unseamingly level of continuity for their development.

In his spare time Oliver enjoys spending time with his young family of three daughters, experiencing travelling and cultural diversity and of course Guernsey’s beautiful outdoor environment.