GUERNSEY Coal is worried that replacing its original plan could drastically delay the decision-making process. It submitted it to Environment in February and has not yet received permission.
But at a public meeting, people who live near the site’s Les Monmains entrance condemned the plans because the gate in the narrow road would be used as the main entrance and exit.
Managing director David Meeks then showed the residents an alternative plan that had been drawn up recently by the company’s architect.
This showed a road through the site which would enable lorries to enter from La Hure Mare Road and exit at Les Monmains.
Mr Meeks said the company would consider submitting this revised plan only if it had assurances from Environment that it would not delay a decision on the redevelopment.
‘We need a discussion with Environment to make sure that any future plans or ideas do not delay the application,’ he said.
‘If we could take the first plan out and put the alternative in without suffering a time delay, we would give it serious consideration.’
He said the company was trying to arrange a meeting, but was finding it difficult.
‘Deputy Mary Lowe said at the public meeting that she could guarantee us a meeting with Environment and we would welcome that,’ he said.
‘We have already emailed Environment and are eagerly awaiting a response.’
Mr Meeks said delays in the planning process were a problem for many people.
‘We were told in July that the only outstanding item was the traffic impact assessment, which we provided,’ he said.
‘Our fear is that changing our existing plan could put us a year back in the planning process. That would be disastrous for us but also disastrous for those businesses that could be using the site and will be displaced from Leale’s Yard next year.’
He said the company was considering submitting the revised plan only to appease people living nearby.
‘I thought we were very considerate with our first lot of plans,’ he said.
‘They cut the traffic flow by half. Coming up with this alternative plan shows, I think, how committed we are to being good neighbours.
‘If the site is developed using our original plan, the traffic volume in Les Monmains would be no higher than it is today.
‘All our inward coal would come through La Hure Mare entrance, be stocked in one of the buildings and then be fork-lifted through to the despatch area on the Monmains side. So it would still be coming in one entrance and going out the other.’
Vale representative and Environment member Deputy Lowe said any new plans would have to be treated in the same way as any application.
‘There is bound to be a delay if you put in a new set of plans, but it depends what they ‘GC’ want to do,’ she said.
‘If they replace plans, they must still be advertised in the same way as always to give people the opportunity to go and have a look at them.
‘Everyone, whether it’s an individual or business, has the opportunity to go and meet a planner before they put in a plan.
‘That is what Guernsey Coal should be doing and I applaud them if that is what they are doing.’
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