ICART Vinery’s owner wants the draft Rural Area Plan changed to allow four houses to be built on site. A residents’ offer to buy the greenhouses and return them to green fields has already been rejected.

The residential proposition met with strong opposition from neighbours at the planning inquiry.

‘We’re in danger of overdeveloping in the urban area and underdeveloping in the rural area,’ said Arthur Leadbeater, representing A & C Ltd.

He said housing was needed to allow families to continue to live and work in the rural parishes. Icart Vinery was a prime example of a site where this should be permitted.

‘It could be more of a good neighbour than a working vinery.’

Mr Leadbeater advocated a policy that would allow infilling gap sites within the built form. The vinery neighbours a clos and other houses.

But the Island Development Committee stood by its strict stance on having no new residential development in the rural area.

‘We fear if the policies were relaxed, we would twist your sentence around and have underdevelopment in the urban area and overdevelopment in the rural area,’ said IDC representative Alistair Coates.

He added that the committee urged diversification within horticulture, and a representation by Guernsey Clematis at last week’s inquiry demonstrated that vineries could be successful.

Nic Argent lives in a house adjacent to the site and strongly supported the IDC’s stance.

‘I suspect the majority of house owners on adjacent sites are against these developments,’ he said.

He pointed to other policies that went against this development, including the provision of safe and convenient access.

‘There have been over 1,500 representations that suggest people in Guernsey are unclear about the new policies and many people are chancing their arm with new developments; I believe this is one,’ said a Mr de Putron.

Other residents raised concerns about traffic problems and the lack of mains drains.

The erection of a Wave Telecom mast was highlighted as the type of development they thought was precluded under the current plan but allowed to happen.

‘One of the big concerns I personally have is the issue of the traffic in the lanes of St Martin’s,’ said Collin Rolfe.

‘Most are single track and it’s causing a lot of damage to the banks and I do think it’s something that needs to be addressed.’

He was concerned that the development would move the boundary of the built-up area towards the cliffs.

‘The original wording of the representation implied the site had little worth,’ said a Mr Locke. ‘A consortium of residents offered a good price for the site with a view to returning it to a green field at our own cost.’

Peter Walters hoped the housing policy would be unequivocal.

‘All I can do is reiterate a lot of points that have been well put by my neighbours,’ he said. ‘The traffic issue is a major concern; the access track is only 10ft wide.’