South Hill: Jersey planning committee refuses housing project

The development would have seen the old planning building knocked down

The Jersey planning committee has refused permission for nearly 140 new flats at South Hill.

The Jersey Development Company had wanted to knock down the old planning buildings to build the properties.

The committee ruled against the proposal on Thursday despite a recommendation from council officers for its approval.

Deputy David Warr, Minister for Housing and Communities, said he was disappointed by the decision.

He said members had concerns over the size of the flats and light issues at the development.

"It's frustrating," he said.

"It's hundreds of millions of pounds going into the island [and] it further delays the delivery of homes to the people of Jersey.

"We can't keep turning down schemes all the time."

Deputy Sam Mezec, speaking ahead of the committee's decision, said the States needed to ensure new developments were affordable.

"The waterfront and South Hill are publicly-owned plots of land - we shouldn't be using them to build homes that nobody can really afford and will inevitably end up causing inflation in the housing market," he said.

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