Nonpareil, La Route de Beaumont, St Peter: sale of site to the Channel Islands Co-operative Society Limited

NONPAREIL, LA ROUTE DE BEAUMONT, ST. PETER: SALE OF SITE TO THE CHANNEL ISLANDS CO- OPERATIVE SOCIETY LIMITED

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Lodged au Greffe on 10th April 2001 by the Harbours and Airport Committee

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STATES OF JERSEY

STATES GREFFE

180             2 0 0 1    P . 6 3          

Price code: B

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion -

  ( a) to approve the sale by the public of the site of the property formerly known as Nonpareil, La Route de

Beaumont, St. Peter (as shown on Drawing No. 557/01/23) to the Channel Islands Co-operative Society Limited for the sum of £150,000, with each party being responsible for its own legal fees;

  (b ) to authorise the Attorney General and the Greffier of the States to pass the necessary contracts on behalf of

the public ; and

  (c ) to authorise the Treasurer of the States to credit payment received in connection with the sale of the said

property to the Planning and Environment Committee's vote of credit CO 904Acquisition of Land - Major Reserve'.

HARBOURS AND AIRPORT COMMITTEE

Notes:  1. T h e Finance and Economics Committee supports this proposition.

  2 . T h e Planning and Environment Committee's comments are to follow.

Report

In the early 1970s, a number of properties around the Airport were identified in a report completed in conjunction with the United Kingdom Ministry of Aviation (P.130/71 and P.31/74 refer) as infringing the Runway 27 Approach Surface, and the States agreed that they should be purchased on the basis of "willing buyer, willing seller". Nonpareil, a former farmhouse, was one of those properties and was purchased by the public in April 1984 for the sum of £83,000; the house was demolished. The site of "Nonpareil", measuring 3.11 vergées, is presently vacant; it is of no operational use to the Airport except for a lighting site and is situated adjacent to St. Peter's Garage and The Pines.

The Pines and St Peter's Garage were also identified in the report - St. Peter's Garage was reduced in height so that it no longer presented an infringement to the Runway 27 Approach Surface; The Pines remains an infringement. Both the properties have recently been acquired by the Channel Islands Co-operative Society with a view to the redevelopment of the whole site.

The redevelopment scheme proposed by Channel Islands Co-operative Society Limited, which received planning permission on 2nd June 2000, will retain the existing petrol filling station with a retail shop and new car wash facility. In addition, this consent will allow the portion of the site hatched on the attached plan to be utilised as a staff car parking area. An application seeking detailed development permission is presently being considered by the Planning and Environment Committee although the plans are already approved in principle. Compliance with detailed development permission and building bye-law will be required as part of the sale contract for the Nonpareil site.

All the costs associated with this development will be met by the Society, including an estimated £175,000 in respect of the proposed car parking area. The remaining portion of the site to be conveyed may be utilised by the Channel Islands Co- operative Society at their discretion but subject to the normal planning processes and having regard to the restrictions set out in the paragraph below. As a result of undertaking this development, it is hoped there will be additional car parking made available at the existing Channel Islands Co-operative Society Ltd superstore.

Provisional  agreement  has  been  reached  with  Channel  Islands  Co-operative Society  Limited  concerning  a sale  of  the "Nonpareil" site in the sum of £150,000 for the freehold interest with the benefit of vacant possession and with each party to bear their respective legal costs. This agreement, which has been overseen by the Department of Property Services, is a market value transaction and is fully reflective of the planning consent recently granted to use the site, hatched on the attached plan, as a car park and the broader benefits in removing a further obstacle from the Airport operations. Excepting the proposed use of a section of the Nonpareil site as a car park, its location within the Agricultural Priority Zone, Noise Zone 1, as well as the Airport Public Safety and Building Restriction Zone, confers minimal potential for alternative development although the Society has confirmed its acceptance to the inclusion, within the contract of sale, of a covenant restricting the use of the identified part thereof (hatched on the attached plan) to car parking and this for a period of 20 years from the date of the contract of sale. In addition, a further condition will be that the property The Pines has to be demolished by the Co- operative Society within a period of six months from the date of the passing of the relevant contract of sale of the Nonpareil site. This will result in an existing aeronautical obstruction being removed at absolutely no expense whatever to the public.

States Committees administering land have been informed of the intended disposal of the site, and no other acceptable alternative uses have been proposed. The Harbours and Airport Committee will be given the appropriate access to its landing light array situated in the south-east corner of the Nonpareil site for such period of time as required. It should also be noted that within the contract of sale there will be a general presumption against the planting of trees or shrubs which may in any way cause difficulties with the lighting systems or the navigational equipment of the Airport.

The financial implications are set out above together with the comment of the Finance and Economics Committee. There are no additional manpower implications for the States.

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