A GROUP of St Saviour’s residents is trying to ensure the parish retains ownership of the Mont Varouf school site.
It is hoping to receive widespread support and will be sending a letter to every household in the parish from next week detailing the campaign’s objectives and including a reply form to show support.
The move has arisen following a meeting in September at which parishioners gave the douzaine a mandate to sell the site for development. The States, which owns a minority share, had already informed the douzaine that it wanted to dispose of its interest.
Group spokeswoman Margaret Macdonald said the campaign’s aim was to reverse September’s decision so that the premises could be used as a community centre for the benefit of all parishioners.
She said the site had enormous potential.
‘It has meeting rooms large and small, a kitchen, a field that could serve as a children’s play area and that rarity in Guernsey, space for parking.
‘Initial enquiries suggest that there are many organisations looking for premises to rent to provide services for families with children, for the disabled and for the elderly.
‘In addition there are many leisure-interest groups such as keep-fit groups, bridge clubs, art classes and music groups looking for venues.’
The campaign group is hoping as many people as possible will attend the parish meeting on 28 April and have their say.
Dean of the douzaine Peter Bott said he knew the group existed but had asked it to wait until the parish meeting to go ahead because then it could have found out more.
He said the parish had gone to Environment recently with two sets of plans for the site.
‘I feel this group should not be privy to what is in those before any other ratepayers are told.’
Miss Macdonald and the rest of the campaign group committee, which includes Martin Gibbons as chairman and Jayne Cataroche as secretary, believe the site is ideally placed as a venue for parish meetings, unlike the present douzaine room and church hall, which in their eyes are both too small to accommodate more than a small number of people.
‘Its location in the heart of rural Guernsey, near the popular reservoir walk, makes the idea of a cafe at Mont Varouf serving teas and home-made cakes an attractive prospect,’ she said.
‘As a venue for quiz nights, charity fund-raising events or simply as a hall available for hire for private parties, the possibilities are endless.
‘The income should make it possible to greatly enhance the community life of those in St Saviour’s, without placing an undue burden on the rates.’
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