The industrial area at Saltpans has been sold by Kenilworth Properties and the Guiton Group. (Picture by Brian Green, 0507092)
THE Saltpans industrial area was sold for more than £7m. yesterday. Saltpans Investments Ltd. – part of the Long Port Group – bought the 15-acre site from Kenilworth Properties and The Guiton Group in a deal worth £7,365,000.
In July 2002, after a public planning inquiry, the States identified the land as a key industrial area. A planning brief was produced in August which outlined the fundamental requirements for the site.
A core element of the brief was to ensure that the redevelopment integrated and respected the existing surroundings to deliver an attractive new environment for the benefit of both the business and social communities. John Averty, chairman and chief executive of Guiton, parent company of the Guernsey Press, said the sale would be a plus for the island.
‘For a long time, Guernsey has been short of industrial development land and we are looking forward to the day when this site is developed, to the benefit of the island,’ he said.
Partner of property adviser Montagu Evans Tony Rowbotham, who acted for the vendors, said considerable interest had been shown in the site, not just from Guernsey companies but also from Jersey and UK ones.
‘The future development of industrial land is of vital importance to Guernsey’s economy,’ he said.
‘It is hoped that when Saltpans Investments Ltd bring forward their plans to proceed with the development, it will begin to ease the considerable pressure that exists for industrial property of all types throughout the island.’
Long Port chairman Charles Billson said his company was proud to own such a prime site, which would be sensitively regenerated to a high quality to meet the requirements of business.
‘This purchase continues to demonstrate our ongoing commitment and investment in essential island infrastructure,’ he said.
Kenilworth chairman Geoff Dorey said that a large amount of time and resources had been taken up in preparing plans for the development and that the Environment Department had been encouraging and helpful. This had resulted in the adoption of the development brief.
‘Following that, we instructed Montagu Evans to bring the site to the market, as we felt we did not have the expertise needed to embark on a full development project.
‘We wish the purchaser every success in the future,’ he said.
Local consultants and agents are invited to express their interest in working on the project. The new owner would also like to hear from prospective occupiers.
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One Article Comment
On the face of it the development of the Saltpans property into Commercial units appears Laudable, but it does raise some serious questions which need to be answered before the project goes ahead.
1) This is an extremely inaccessible area for large vehicles and with the current traffic problems in and around St Sampson’s and the development of Leale’s yard in the pipeline, how do the developers plan to cope with the extra traffic it will produce to the detriment of the quality of life in the area?
2) Longport have stated , ”sensitively regenerated to a high quality to meet the requirements of business”, it already seems that only high cost business will be able to afford the rents, which once again pushes the small local business into the background , whilst taking up a huge area with a prestige development.
I would like to see a clause in the development , if passed, by Environment, stating that a percentage of the commercial properties had to be developed with smaller business in mind.
These are early days and I look forward to seeing the plans for the area when they are made public