Planners reject burgled jeweller’s extra security
Wednesday 17th August 2011, 2:30PM BST.
Michael, left, and Paul Paint are disappointed when planners turned down their application for automatic shutters on their Pollet jewellery shop which was victim of a smash-and-grab raid last year. Other jewellers are baffled by the decision. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 1170941)
A TOWN jeweller which was the victim of a £200,000 smash-and-grab raid has had an application to improve its external security rejected by Environment.
N. St J. Paint & Sons director Paul Paint said he had been looking at ways of improving security since the Pollet store was burgled last July.
‘Obviously we’re disappointed,’ he said in reaction to the application’s refusal.
‘We felt the new shutters would have been more attractive and more practical.’
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On May the 9th.1945. We, the people of Guernsey, celebrated ‘Freedom’, and everyone was so happy,that the Germans were no longer in power, and we were to have our Island back. Now, despite celebrating this wonderful occasion every May, over the past 70 years, we are now having to tolerate dozens of new nonsensical laws, policed by a group of power mad imigrants Known by the title of ‘Civil Servants’ who seem to relish in upsetting every Dick Tom and Harry, at every opportunity.
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Unbelievable! What looks worse:
i) Security shutters closed after opening hours
ii) Smashed / boarded up windows awaiting repair
ii) Another derelict shop as the business owner decides to close due to increasing costs and or vandalism
I’ll let you decide, clearly Environment can’t come to the correct answer!
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If you read Mr Syrett`s letter in the Press you can understand why this decision was made.
They are top notch professionals who know what they are doing!
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No surprise here. This absurd decision is quite in keeping with the policy of the Environment Minister – never apply common sense. Hopefully, come the next election, a Champion will step forward who will put right all the wrongs of the Environment Department.
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it seems Planning make up the rules as they go along.
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once again the states show how small minded, out of touch and pathetic they are. much rather they had someones business turned over because, god forbid, SHUTTERS!!! whatever next, somebody might want to build, oh i dont know, say, a massively ugly lethiathan of a bulding thats completely out of character with the surroundings at Admiral Park??? one rule for one and one for everyone else. pathetic.
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There are patients in the Castel Hospital who can make more rational decisions than certain members of the States.
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Yorkshireman.
I am sorry, but as a visitor for the last 30+ years to your island, it seems daft not to allow these security shutters in view of the situation. Sadly, I think Guernsey law and disorder is going the same way as the U.K. has done.
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Most posters on here seem to claim guernsey is a great place,seems not to be the truth with shutters and extra security required for a high street shop.
More good news for the exodus.
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Sorry Homme who are these top notch professionals who know what they are doing?
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Environment won’t respond to the Guernsey Press anymore. It should not be a surprise as it must be difficult to defend some of the planning applications the paper has covered. As Deputy Siritt has stated common sense does not come into planning laws and many of these cases required just that.Common sense only seems to exist amongst us pleps but gets lost the higher up the chain you go.
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John – this was a response to My Syrett`s letter in tuesaday`s Press.
The words tongue in cheek apply!!!
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Strange!
Does this mean next time there’s a smash n grab the perpetrators can sue (injuries)& business owner/s for loss/damaged stock? Due to this application being turned down!
Maybe Health & Safety could come to a common sense rescue
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Words fail me, A high value shop not allowed to modernise his security. Are these Civil servants or politicians making these decisions?
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With the latest stream of ‘wacky’ decisions made by The Environment Dept there seems to be a common response from the politicians in that ‘its the rules we have to follow’ and they don’t ‘allow for common sense’.
Please forgive my ignorance but as politicians are they not in the right place to change these laws!?
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Donkey Doo, I will try to explain the system whereby the laws that govern our planning system are changed. There is a Policy Council sub-group known as the Strategic Land Planning Group (the S.L.P.G.) This group recently went out to extensive consultation under the banner of Guernsey Tomorrow and engaged with many groups of people from varied backgrounds (women’s Institutes, scouts, schools, business houses, environmental groups etc etc.) The results of that process will lead to the formulation of a new Strategic Land Use Plan. Once this has been passed/amended by the States, probably later this year, it will provide a framework to revise the two Development Plans -the Rural Area Plan and the Urban Area Plan. These Plans will go out for a Public Inquiry headed by an independent Inspector at which time you and any other interested parties can comment. The Inspector’s report will then go back to the States with the Plans, amended as necessary by the Environment Department, and the States will vote (or not) to adopt them. The States Members who populate the Environment Department Board have no ability to change “the rules” and must work strictly within the terms of the Rural and Urban Area Plans as approved by the States. I hope this brief explanation clarifies the situation for you.
Pete Sirett
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Pete Sirett
Just make sure that the very last rule on the list says ‘None of the above rules shall usurp the rule of common sense’
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I can’t say I agree with the negative comments on here – everyone’s always keen to bash the planners, but no-one seems to have considered that shutters have been proven to heighten fear and even in some cases encourage crime because they lead to a general degredation in the quality of the public realm.
Could you imagine if every shop in town had intrusive, metal shutters instead of nice, active frontages? The character of the conservation area (and listed buildings) would change for the worse and not necessarily alleviate crime. Tourists wouldn’t like our quaint shopping streets starting to look like inner cities and I doubt us locals would either. On this basis, I think it’s a sound decision by the planners (which, of course, the applicants can appeal against) rooted in commonsense.
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Devil’s Advocate
I agree that every shop shouldn’t have metal shutters, but jewellers ought to be allowed to surely?
I can’t imagine anyone breaking into Pasty Presto to steal the day’s leftovers, or Barratt’s to make off with a few hundred left footed shoes, but hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of gold is a different matter!!
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@Pete Sirett – Loved your letter in the GP but you can’t win with this lot mate.
@Your Shout regulars – have a look at http://www.gsyfutu.com/?p=11077 and see if it rings any bells.
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To Sam,.The answer is neither.It was Idiots !
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why are there still cars parked opposite jacksons
at the airport,in a once green field?
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@ Pete Sirett
You answered my question thank you. The States vote the new law (& therefore rules) so from where I’m standing you do have the power to change things.
Sorry for the belated reply, been in St. Malo for the weekend where even they in thier historic walled city have shutters on the majority of shops. They don’t look out of place to me.
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What about the Milfords cooker ?
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No wonder Planning do not respond to Press enquries:they have run out of excuses for their many incomprehensible decisions.
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@ Pete sirett
You say Environment Department Board have no ability to change “the rules” and must work strictly within the terms of the Rural and Urban Area Plans as approved by the States.
Well let’s take a look at a previous case of Griffins Grotto unable to trade from Perelle. Fair enough rules are rules, you may say, but to then allow another business on the site which is also in breach of the rural area plan, (they also import products for resale), after all the trouble you went to to close down a gift shop, which tried so hard to comply with Your “rules” is utterly disgusting. The whole Environment Department is an utter farce. As you said yourself “no room for common sense”.
You also say “States Members who populate the Environment Department Board have no ability to change “the rules”” Well they certainly bend or find away around them for larger companies, Corporations or when they feel like it. This department does nothing to benefit the rural environment, small business or the people of the Island. You always blame the law and never take any responsibility for your actions. How this department can live with themselves after so many controversial and ridiculous decisions they made goes beyond belief. So either the laws needs changing to implement common sense or there needs to be a big shake up in this department employing people who can see the whole picture not just read the rule book then implement it to how they feel.
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Its quite simple,
Just stop living in the past.
While it is obvious that Guernsey must retain its very beautiful heritage, the Environment Department (the “ED”), should understand that how ever many years ago, these rules made sense and were applicablce, but times have changed.
With regard to these shutters, seriously? Is this what needs to be making headlines and only slowly pressing the ED further into bucket of hatred that the entire Islands holds for them. The shutters go up and then they come down, so wont be seen during the day, and will be down at night, to stop the theives, THE THEIVES – in Guernsey? Why do you think they take their chances, because they no nothing will be done.
The ED just needs to wake up and apply common sense, as everyone has said, obviously dont let a nutter build some massive glass and steel skyscraper in his back yard, but for goodness sakes, let him take down his back hedges and put up a fence without forking out 200 odd pounds to do it.
Its easy to say that Guernsey is an Island populated with Donkeys but run by monkeys.
Good luck States, your going to need it.
Cheers
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After reading all the above posts, it makes me want to go and knock down my lovely granite wall, but then, I suppose, I would be made to rebuild it or face prosecution! Although I see the one at Landes du marche. is still lying in a heap.
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Every time I travel along Camp du Roi from the North towards the traffic lights I nearly boot bump the car in front because I can’t help staring in amazement at the mish-mash of a building about 50 yards North of the traffic lights
Someone in Environment has actually decreed that a bare brick and wood extension with a red tiled roof is congruous with an adjoining old grey granite cottage with a blue slate roof
As the crow flies this monstrosity is about 150 yards away from the incongruous fence at Les Rouvets which I believe is still in place
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