Latest news with #StSampson
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Guernsey States urged to act on concerns over housing plans
A parish has called on the States to act over concerns about the impact of plans to build more than 1,000 new homes over the next six new homes would be built in St Sampson's in Guernsey under the Island Development Plan's (IDA) spatial strategy, alongside plans for 89 new homes in St Sampson's Parish Douzaine said that while concessions had been made in relation to the Vazon plans, the Development and Planning Authority (DPA) had failed to act on concerns about the impact on infrastructure in their parish, including a rise in traffic volumes of as much as 50%.The DPA has been approached for comment. Karl Guille, from St Sampson's Parish Douzaine, said they had "been on the back foot" since the IDA was introduced in 2011, putting "the majority of new housing in our parish"."We are concerned that our infrastructure simply can't cope with the level of development that is being proposed," he said it was "somewhat ironic" that the Development and Planning Authority chose to recognise road safety, traffic management and other concerns raised around the planned development of 89 new homes in Vazon "when it continues to promote over 1,000 new houses in the north of the island".Guille said several road junctions were already operating over capacity and traffic volumes there were more than twice the levels seen in the west and south of the a statement issued in response to the plans, the Douzaine said it was disappointed there had not been a review to the spatial strategy to allow the "burden of development to be shared more widely".The 1,000 new homes represented 64% of the island's allocation, they added. 'Concerns largely ignored' The parish's junior constable Joe Abbotts said it was a shame concerns continually highlighted by the parish and traffic consultants in 2010 and in 2012 "have largely been ignored". "Central to those concerns is the cumulative impact such developments will have on existing roads infrastructure resulting in numerous junctions operating above capacity with significant queuing," he have also been expressed about the increased flood risk if large numbers of housing were to be built on low lying land such as in the Braye du Valle and about the impact on existing public utility infrastructure. St Sampson's Douzaine said while it appreciated that demand for housing, and especially affordable housing, was becoming increasingly urgent, the new housing would cause a "significant increase" in demand on "already constrained roads and public utility infrastructure".Parishioners of St Sampson were also "rightly concerned about the potential depreciation in the value of their homes and the deterioration in the quality of life that could arise living in such highly developed areas", the spokesperson spatial strategy prioritises housing development in and around the edges of the urban centres of St Peter Port and St Sampson and Vale. 'Extremely disappointed' A spokesperson for St Sampson's Douzaine said they were "extremely disappointed the States had not taken the opportunity to review the strategy to allow the burden of development to be shared more widely".They said some of the latest proposed amendments to the draft plan were sensible in seeking to concentrate future developments on brownfield or redundant glasshouse sites and creating some limited additional housing sites in the west and south of the these amendments "do not go anywhere near far enough in the opinion of St Sampson's Douzaine to allay existing concerns over the anticipated impact that such high levels of continued development will have on the north of the Island", they added.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- BBC News
Former Guernsey prison officer found guilty of sexual assault
A former Guernsey prison officer been found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman he offered career advice to. Jason Francis Tardif, 53, of St Sampson, denied assaulting the woman at his home on 14 October 2022, including by placing his hands on her shoulders and making a sexual Magistrate's Court heard the offence had taken place following an invitation he had made to discuss the woman's interest in getting a job at Guernsey Prison, where he worked at the time. Passing judgement, Lieutenant Bailiff Russell Finch said the "court is sure the touching was sexual in nature". Tardif is set to be sentenced on 10 July in front of Judge Perry. The court heard Tardif also demonstrated a body search on his victim and put a hand on her knee "without consent".Crown Advocate Chris Dunford said this indicated Tardif had more than "recruitment on his mind" during the time of the offence. Made her 'skin crawl' In a video witness statement played in court, the woman said the incident made her "skin crawl" and she had only gone to Tardif's home to ask for described how Tardif told her to stand up and said, "this is how you perform a body search" before moving his hands along her arms and down her then left her feeling "uncomfortable" as he moved closer to her on a sofa and touched her knee while showing her paperwork, she also recalled that she moved away and "tried to speed up the conversation".Tardif later stopped her as she was leaving by placing his hands on her shoulders and making a sexual comment about her woman said the incident left her feeling "creeped out" as Tardif initially came across like a "nice guy".Tardif who earlier pleaded not guilty, disputed he at any point deliberately touched the woman or made a sexual remark. Defending, Advocate Alan Merrien claimed where there may have been "accidental contact" it was with no "sexual intent".Tardif was earlier this year found guilty of an unrelated sexual assault.
BBC News
07-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Man, 94, shares his memories of German Occupation of Guernsey
'We were starving but you had to live with it' 9 minutes ago Share Save Robert Hall BBC News, Channel Islands Share Save BBC Louis Ogier, 94, was nine when he crouched behind a wall with his mother and father as German bombers attacked Guernsey "When it all ended, what a pleasure it was that you could be free." A man from Guernsey has shared his experiences of the German Occupation of the island the 1940s. Louis Ogier, 94, was nine when he said he remembered crouching behind a wall with his mother and father as German bombers attacked the island. The Germans invaded the Channel Islands in June 1940 and were the only British territories to be occupied during World War Two. As a child, Mr Ogier lived in St Sampson and went to Catel School. On one occasion he said he remembered narrowly missing some small German practice shells. "We tried to heat them up in an old saucepan," he said. "Nothing seemed to happen - then bang! "My friend Edgar got two pieces of shrapnel in his leg. "We pulled them out with a pair of pliers, and put cobwebs on the wounds because someone said it might help." Relief on both sides Another memory Mr Ogier recalled was when he broke his father's house rules and listened to music on a secret radio set hidden behind window curtains. "Five or six Germans came knocking on the window, and wanted to listen themselves," he said. "They were dancing away until their officer turned up. They never split on me, and my father never found out." The 94-year-old said generally "we got along with them all right" and would "give us a telling off but no more than that". When Liberation came, he said the Germans were relieved, and ready to go home. "They were starving, like many of us," he said. "But you just had to live with it, and when it all ended what a pleasure it was that you could be free." Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to
