Holistic approach to traffic needed for the North, says Douzaine

Members came to this view after considering the permissions given by Planning to the proposed Saltpans site but before last week's announcement that a planning framework for up to 35 new homes off Route Militaire has been approved at the site known as Le Four Banal.

Members noted that in the order of 1,500 new properties have been earmarked by Planners in the Vale and St Sampson's but that assessing the consequences of increased traffic and parking has been carried out on a per site basis, not for the whole area.

"Douzeniers were firmly of the view that this is entirely the wrong way of going about things," Senior Constable Richard Leale said after the meeting. "It makes no sense to us to approach planning on a piecemeal basis when the impact of traffic is so widespread."

Changed assumptions
That view was confirmed, he said, by Planning's own Saltpans framework document, which needed an addendum from traffic experts Arup because of new developments since its earlier involvement. "The assumptions around committed developments have therefore required revisit, which has affected the modelling baseline," said the consultants.

Mr Leal added: "In the light of this it seemed self evident to the Vale Douzaine that a more holistic approach is needed for development in the North – including targeting brownfield sites ahead of open fields – and we shall be speaking to our colleagues in St Sampson's about trying to take this further."

• A meeting has been scheduled later this month with Development and Planning Authority president Dawn Tindall to discuss some of these issues.