CI INVESTMENTS remains at loggerheads with the Forest Douzaine over the use of a field opposite the airport. At the planning inquiry, the company argued for it to be recognised as a car park.

But the douzaine, backed by Deputy David de Lisle, claims this use is unauthorised and the field should revert to agricultural land.

‘There has been dispute for some years whether this land is properly used as a car park,’ said Advocate Roger Perrot, on behalf of CI Investments.

He produced statements to back his claim that the field had been used such as this prior to the introduction in 1967 of the development law.

‘As far as we’re concerned, that’s an established use that will continue.’

In the draft Rural Area Plan, the land has been designated as high landscape quality.

‘It’s opposite the airport, which is a very substantial development indeed,’ he said.

‘There does not seem to be any planning reason why it’s zoned as an area of high landscape value. It’s distinctive to a field that does not have a hardcore surface.’

The company wants the field to be undesignated or treated as part of the rural centre proposed for that area. But these views met with strong opposition.

Speaking for the douzaine, Francis Paul referred to the primary objective of the plan as the conservation and enhancement of the rural area.

He presented three photos that illustrated how the field had changed. He said that in 1996 the field had no sign of a car park; by 2004, this had changed.

‘Established use? I ask myself.’

The Cadastre records it as an agricultural field, he said.

‘It seems to me, and the evidence of the photos confirms this, that we’re dealing here not with a simple matter to change the plan to reflect established use, but unauthorised change of use.’

He said that there were no dropped kerbs on the pavement, despite the road being resurfaced several times.

Mr de Lisle said the field had been correctly zoned in the current RAP.

‘Planning has an important part to play in protecting agricultural land from development.’

There is a long, contiguous area of land in agricultural use around the field and a conservation area nearby, he said.

‘The field always provided an open and grown land vista as we leave the airport, something I believe should be preserved,’ he said.

When the field came up for sale in the past, Mr de Lisle said it was in agricultural use.

‘In 2003, the soil in the field was scraped and coarse siftings placed on it to make it easier for use as a car park. That’s an important point; many people were concerned at the time.’

As far as Mr de Lisle was concerned, the field was grown until 2003.

Island Development Committee representative Alistair Coates said it was not the role of the planning inquiry to determine the specific use of land.

He added that the definition of high landscape quality was broad-brushed and could include small clusters of buildings and land of varying quality.

The field was at the southern edge of the central plateau of Guernsey.

The possibility for the field’s development under policies related to the airport increased with a proposed wording change – from within close proximity to the airport to requiring an airport location.

‘The IDC say this inquiry did not set out to deal with site-specific representations and I entirely respect that,’ said Advocate Perrot.

He welcomed the IDC’s suggested wording change: ‘For once, the IDC and my client are in accord.’