This Is Guernsey

By Joel de Woolfson

An overhead view of the 3D model of the technology park. The square empty space towards the bottom left is the Alliance car park with, beyond it, the Moonpig.com building and, with the circular water tank, the Guernsey Press. Saltpans Road forms the right-side boundary. (0931133)

SALTPANS residents do not want four-storey buildings in the Guernsey Technology Park.

All neighbours of the 16.5-acre site spoken to by the Guernsey Press at the weekend showed general support for the Long Port Group’s plans, but the majority highlighted four-storey structures as a major concern.

Residents said they had not been aware of the potential scale of the buildings and were worried their properties would be plunged into darkness.

‘We overlook it and if there are going to be four-storey buildings, we are not going to be able to see much else,’ said Joanne Hutchison, 35, who has lived next to the site for five years.

‘We are all for the landscaping work and the design. It really seemed like it would enhance the area, but we are really worried about the size of the buildings.’

However, Long Port senior development manager Mark Ogier yesterday moved to reassure residents that any four-storey buildings would be away from homes.

‘As shown in the PIP [permission in principle] documents, the four-storey buildings are generally on the north side of the site adjacent to the existing industrial buildings,’ he said. ‘On the Saltpans Road [south] side where the site is adjacent to residential, the buildings are one to two storeys high for exactly the reasons detailed.’

Long Port bought the site in April 2008 for £7.3m. and launched the technology park project last week after receiving planning permission in principle.

Chairman Charles Billson said the technology park would serve local and global firms with financial services, e-retailing and fulfilment, e-gaming, cloud computing and intellectual property storage.

The company’s brochure says units are available with footprints of 1,000-100,000sq. ft, with the option of up to four storeys.

Rachel Meinke, who has lived in Saltpans Road for five-and-a-half years, said it made sense to develop the area but she was worried about the skyline impact.

‘People I have spoken to around here are quite accepting of it because the site has been a nightmare,’ the 67-year-old said.

‘There was broken glass everywhere and motorbike boys used to whiz around at all hours.

‘It seemed like quite a pleasant idea to have trees and paths and a water feature. I just hope the buildings do not take away the sunlight because I get the most amazing sunsets and it was one of the reasons I moved here.’

Ian Hale has lived opposite the site for three years and also said four storeys was too high. ‘I would have been more in favour of keeping it at two,’ the 47-year-old said.

‘I understand they are trying to get the maximum out of the land, but four storeys is quite high.’

Article posted on 15th March, 2010 - 2.30pm