Property

If you are planning on establishing a business on Guernsey, finding the right accommodation can seem daunting – but help is at hand.

Commercial Property in Guernsey all falls within a range of user classes under the local planning laws. These are looked after by the Guernsey Environment Department and are covered by two Island wide plans, the Urban Area Plan and the Rural Area Plan.

These plans are designed to ensure that developments of whatever kind are considered within the environment in which they are located and treated accordingly. For example new industrial development is more likely to be approved within the urban area than the rural area.

There has been a considerable amount of office building in recent years and if you need office space then that is usually readily available. Industrial space is limited and though there are several industrial estates on the Island, finding space, particularly for heavy industry can be difficult and as such is not encouraged. Wholesale and distribution operations have also been accommodated in many of the industrial estates.

Retail space can be found both in St Peter Port and in the smaller retail centres and several large retailers have been recently accommodated in the Market redevelopment project.

A good commercial estate agent will be a great asset when searching for property and of course the Guernsey Enterprise Agency is available if you need independent advice.