Mick Le Tissier has taken former Environment minister deputy David De Lisle at his word and bought chickens and pigs to live on a plot of land on which he was refused permission to build a bungalow. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 0643631)
MICK LE TISSIER has taken the Environment Department at its word. For some years, he had been denied permission to build a bungalow on land at Rue de la Hougue, Castel.
He has accepted defeat and instead has followed a recommendation by then Environment minister Deputy David De Lisle that the site was suitable for chickens and pigs by submitting an application for chicken huts and a pig sty.
He had tried to sell the plot, which is classed as horticultural land, for £75,000, but had no takers. He now has his smallholding up and running and is proud of it.
‘I’m getting some more chickens and probably another cock bird. The two pigs are meant to come some time next week. The chickens are laying eggs and I’m selling them on the hedge outside my home. As long as I can pay for their food and I get pleasure out of it, I will continue.’
But he has already had some complaints about the noise, especially early in the morning. He said the States had contacted him about it but told him they could not do anything because they had granted the permission.
‘I’ve got two chicken huts and another one is getting built in time for another 25 chickens. I hope to have them singing like the Beverley Sisters one of these days.
‘If people don’t like it then they know all they have to do is pay the £75,000 and its theirs. I’m not going to give it away.’
Article posted on 29th September, 2008 - 2.29pm
12 Article Comments
Good on yer Mick. I find it quite funny that the States can’t do anything about the noise because they suggested you kept pigs and chickens.
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Face facts; its not anyone’s given right to build a house on spare land and planning policy is a necessity these days.
Why not accept defeat graciously rather than set out to deliberately irritate the people who live around you.
Although he clearly can’t get on with civilised people so maybe the chickens are for conversation as well as eggs.
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Well done Mick, the planning authorities have messed you about for years, others have succeeded in getting permission to build not one hundred yards away from your plot, so why not you. It’s a States witch hunt !!
Lets have as many chickens and pigs as there’s room for, can i suggest a few geese as well.
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Do any of the sympathisers live next door?
Or are they all out of earshot of a load of noisy animals bought out of spite.
For the record I live nowhere near this guy, but would be gutted if i did.
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Sounds like dog in the manger to me.
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Does anyone else think £75,000 for a small piece of horticultural land is not a tad expensive and that Mr Le Tissier is just out to make mischief and cares not a jot for the neighbours – who are not responsible for States Policy. I htink he is being greedy – what did he pay for the land? Mr De Lisle should be ashamed if he and his planners did give permission for livestock so close to housing. Perhaps he would like them to live near him?
I don’t live near him so have no personal gripe about him keeping chickens/cockerels and pigs, although being woken up at dawn by a cockerel must be irritating. Having purchased a similar piece of land from a neighbour a few years ago which was no where near the price quoted by Mr Le Tissier we either had a very reasonable neighbour or horticultaral land prices have rocketed (and my neighbour took advice from a lawyer)! I think it was the former. I am sure that if the price was reasonable he would have no problem selling it for horticultural land.
The article does not specify whether Mr Le Tissier has permission for the chicken huts and pig sheds yet either. He must have know the situation when he bought the land – was he hoping to make a quick buck? If it is true that permission for building has been granted very close by then we have to ask why and whether there is any mischief going on.
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What I struggle to understand is why he thought anyone would pay his £75k asking price for horticultural land in the first place. That seems totally unrealistic in relation to horticultural land.
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Dan, I think that all of Mick’s sympathisers would love to live next door if The States had allowed him to build a bungalow. I would live there now because I love pigs and chickens and used to have geese as well at The Forest.
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I think Dan and other critics of Mick should understand that he has not been allowed to build because the Castel is a rural parish. So whats wrong with a few farm animals in a rural area ?
Seems natural enough to me. The neighbour causing all the fuss should perhaps get involved and help Mick out with the feeding, cleaning etc. they may grow to like it and want livestock of their own.
You cant have it both ways.
If you’re not happy, sell up and move to St. Peter Port.
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The rural idyll eh? Castel is rural no more houses! Chickens you said? In the country? I’m outraged!!
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I live in the Castel and come from a farming background so I’m not here to be patronised.
There is a BIG difference between being genuinely interested in raising animals and doing something to deliberately harass people.
Funny that he never wanted animals until it was the only way he could kick out for not being allowed to build a house. Also his neighbours have nothing to do with the Environment Department or Planning Policy so it all comes across as petty and vindictive.
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What would happen if we all were allowed to build a house on a spare piece of agricultural land? The island would be even more densely built-up than it already is.
I admit Mr Le Tissier must be aggreived that he can’t do what he wants, but that’s life I’m afraid.
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