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An appeal against a planning decision to refuse permission for a Havre des Pas car park to be used for private parking has been dismissed by the former Environment Minister.
Developer Brigham Young had originally applied to formalise a use for car parking at the Sovereign Hire Cars site which has existed for more than 80 years.
The area, on the north side of Havre des Pas, was originally a coach park, then a hire car depot with spaces let out to residents and for commercial vehicle parking in the winter months.
Mr Young never thought that a Planning application was necessary because the use as a residential car park had been carried on for more than eight years, but had sought to formalise the arrangement.
There was also a retrospective application for 14 carports, with galvanised corrugated steel roofs and timber posts, which had been built over the last two years.
Pictured: The entrance to the car park from Havre des Pas.
The application was refused last November, when the Planning Officer said: “The proposed development is for a private car park in the Built-up Area of St. Helier, which would not reduce the dependence on the car and will lead to unacceptable problems of traffic generation.
“The proposed development would also serve to stifle the potential redevelopment of the site.”
Following an appeal by Mr Young against this refusal, an independent planning inspector was appointed to review the application.
Inspector Graham Self sided with Planning in recommending that the appeal was dismissed and the original refusal be upheld.
He said: “I conclude that although there are some weaknesses in the planning authority’s case, the decision to refuse planning permission should be confirmed. The stated reason for refusal is adequate as it stands.”
This view was supported by the Environment Minister, who signed an order, which was published on Thursday.
It said: “In line with the recommendations of the inspector, it is recommended that the appeal be dismissed and that the initial decision to refuse planning permission be confirmed.
“The Minister also had regard to the fact that the original decision on the planning permission and subsequent inspector’s report was made under the policy regime of the 2011 Island Plan (revised 2014) which was superseded by the bridging Island Plan on 25 March 2022.
“However, the Minister did not consider that the change in development plans made any material difference, in this instance, to the assessment of the proposed development.”
Developer puzzled by Planning decision over decades-old car park
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