"Woefully inadequate" parking puts the brakes on apartment plans

Wednesday 21 August 2024

"Woefully inadequate" parking facilities is one of the reasons that the St Helier's Roads Committee has objected to a planning application to build 32 apartments on St Clement's Road.

Plans submitted by Lucas House Holdings Limited outlined a proposed development of 32 apartments with only 13 vehicle spaces.

The application, submitted in July, was to demolish the six existing properties owned by the applicant and replace them with a much larger residential site,

If approved, this would consist of 18 one-bedroom, 11 two-bedroom and three three-bedroom apartments, plus a commercial unit.

Pictured: The plans for the 32-apartment complex included "woefully inadequate" parking provisions.

However, in a meeting this month, the St Helier’s Roads Committee objected to those plans and released a statement describing the reasons for their objection.

Issues included the "woefully inadequate" parking facilities, as well as the impact on the "quiet" Rodney Street which would have acted as access to the development.

The Committee said: "The application is to demolish the existing building and replace it with 32 units of residential accommodation comprising one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and a commercial unit, including only 13 car parking bays with a shared car club space.

"The Roads Committee believes that the parking provision is woefully inadequate. The Committee is also concerned about the use of Rodney Avenue, a quiet residential street, to serve as the access for this development."

Pictured: Some of the existing properties along St Clement's Road which were earmarked to be demolished in the plans .

The statement continued: "The Roads Committee strongly believes that there should be a minimum of one car parking space per unit and that St Helier parishioners should have the same right to own or park a car as those living in rural parishes."

As well as 13 car spaces, the plans outlined space for a public EV space, four motorcycle spaces and 61 bicycle spaces.

Lucas House Holdings Limited also described plans for landscape amenities in the proposed development including connected 'mews' and a ginnel, shared podium gardens with play areas, and shared roof gardens.

Pictured: The planned complex featured amenities including rooftop gardens and children's play areas.

The application also received 38 public comments objecting to the plans.

These stated that the proposed development was "overbearing" and would cause "serious detriment" to the quality of life of those in the area because of noise, traffic flow and invasion of privacy to other properties on and around Rodney Street.