Retailers 'elated' by State purchase on Bridge
The States of Guernsey announced plans to buy the Leale's Yard site on The Bridge for £4.5m on Wednesday.
Earlier this year it had pulled out of a deal to spend about £35m on the project to support the Channel Islands Co-Operative and developer Omnibus with the scheme.
Martin Search, owner of Ray & Scott Jewellers, said he was "absolutely elated" by the purchase.
He said: "I honestly didn't think it would happen in my lifetime and I think it is going to happen this time.
"I honestly think it's gone on too long but we've got so close now to the point of the negotiation and where they bought it and where they've actually put their hands in the pocket."
Shop owner Dave Perchard said he was "hopeful that something is actually going to happen this time".
He said: "I've traded on The Bridge for 30 years now, and even 30 years ago I was concerned as to what the future for my shop was going to be because of Leale's Yard.
"Here we are 30 years later and nothing's happened, but it really looks positive this time."
Deputy Steve Williams, President of the Housing Committee, said it was a "great opportunity" for the States to improve the area.
He said: "It's been derelict for a long time and we saw through the election period a lot of the public were really keen that something happened with Leale's Yard.
"We desperately need housing in the island, this is such a brownfield site... it's really good derelict land to make some good opportunity for new housing."
'Generating transport links'
Committee for the Environment and Infrastructure President Deputy Adrian Gabriel said work had to be done to improve the roads.
He said: "The road network at the moment won't certainly cope with extra housing, so this site is ideal for generating some transport links to help the surrounding area residents and anyone visiting.
"It's brilliant that we've been able to capitalise on this and invest in this site... this site has been derelict for many a year so now it's wholly in the state's hands."
Lisa said the States needed to provide more housing for its islanders.
She said: "Hopefully it's a good thing and it'll be redeveloped into new homes which are desperately needed in the island.
"I think The Bridge needs a bit of a facelift... we need houses, it's a unique site."
Islander Martin disagreed: "More houses, more people, we haven't got the infrastructure in this island.
"What the bridge needs to make it more vibrant is more shops... make it look nice, a nice shopping precinct [and a] nice big car park."
More news stories for Guernsey
Listen to the latest news for Guernsey
Debs said she was worried about the impact on the local school.
"For me, I feel it's bursting at the seams already - adding all that extra housing in one spot, that concerns me."
Andrew said he was not convinced things would change: "It's been going on for a few years now and I don't think they're going to do much with it.
"That's not going to happen within a year, I reckon give it another five years and it'll probably still be the same."
Islander Robert said this was "just what the bridge needs": "For the footfall that will come out of the building project and with Quayside work going on when that's in place there's going to be a lot more commercial benefit from it."
Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
States to buy Leale's Yard site for £4.5m
States stops potential £35m Bridge investment
Step forward for £100m plan to build 338 new homes
Related internet links
States of Guernsey
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Family secures lawfulness certificate for Pembrokeshire site
A call to retain a leisure use of a parcel of land near the Pembrokeshire seaside, used for more than 50 years, has been given the go-ahead despite local objections. In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Phillip Thomas of Rhydlewis, through agent Preseli Planning Ltd, sought a certificate of lawful development for land east of Bryntirion Lodge, Cippyn, St Dogmaels. An application for a certificate of lawfulness allows an applicant to stay at a development if they can provide proof of occupancy over a prolonged period. A supporting statement said the application had been made after the refusal of a partly retrospective application for the siting of a holiday pod on the land. It said: 'The land has been in family ownership for decades and the applicants have witnessed and enjoyed the use of the land for leisure purposes for over 40 years. Originally established by their grandfather, the site has been handed down through the generations. Resolving the matter is therefore a highly sensitive matter for the family.' It added: 'Based on the evidence available, it has been established that the leisure use of the land commenced in the 1970s and the use has existed in some form since this time, as the land has been passed down through three generations of the same family.' It said that part of the site was used to store builders' materials temporarily in circa 2019, but the leisure use had not been abandoned. Read more Pembrokeshire village's football club grounds expansion call Pembrokeshire overnight campervan trial approval expected Call to keep car pod at Pembrokeshire supermarket An officer report said objections had been received locally, contesting the claims made in the application for a Certificate of Lawfulness relating to leisure use, describing it as 'an overgrown, steep, and largely inaccessible tract, with significant areas covered by dense vegetation and invasive species'. Objectors also said they have never witnessed any family activities at the site, saying it was primarily used as a dumping ground for builder's debris, the report added. 'Officers recognise the concerns raised by local residents regarding the use and condition of the site, including issues related to dumping and unauthorised development,' it said, adding: 'However, the statutory test for a Certificate of Lawfulness is whether the use has occurred for the relevant period to render it lawful, not whether the use is desirable or appropriate.' It said, based 'on the totality of evidence submitted' the applicant had 'demonstrated on the balance of probabilities that the use of the land for leisure purposes has been carried out continuously for at least ten years prior to the submission of the application'.
Wall Street Journal
6 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
Welcome to the Grocery Store Where Prices Change 100 Times a Day
Shoppers in Norway are used to seeing prices at the grocery store change in front of their eyes. On electronic labels that line the shelves, the listed price for eggs or milk fades, the screen blinks and a new figure flashes up, all in a matter of seconds. Prices can change up to 100 times a day at Reitan's REMA 1000-branded grocery stores across Norway—and more often during holidays. The idea is to match or beat the competition with the touch of a button, says REMA 1000's head of pricing, Partap Sandhu. 'We lower the prices maybe 10 cents and then our competitors do the same, and it kind of gets to [be] a race to the bottom.'
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Publix signs lease for Matthews store
Publix Super Markets will anchor this mixed-use development in Matthews. The Lakeland, Florida-based grocer has inked a lease deal for a 50,000-square-foot store that will include a full-service pharmacy and drive-thru. The store will be part of Cadia Matthews, located at Stallings and Idlewild roads. Charlotte-based Pappas Properties is behind that 82-acre wellness-focused, master-planned development. Continue reading here. WATCH: 'Cool down': MEDIC prepares for weekend in Queen City with high temperatures Solve the daily Crossword
