Special Development Order for Fairmont Southampton places environmental requirements on developer ahead of final planning permission
Planning permission in principal is granted for the addition of up to 250 additional tourism and residential units on the Fairmont Southampton Hotel grounds, built over an expected 16-year period.
Under the now finalised Special Development Order, Westend Properties must still apply for planning permission for the four phases of development, with full details of the proposed construction and changes to the site.
The planning application must include the new units’ appearance and access, details of the planned realignment of South Road and related traffic control, plans for wastewater management, and a strategy demonstrating how the development will incorporate renewable energy.
Prior to the first planning application, the developer must agree to designate certain areas as Protected Conservation Areas, and outline a Conservation Management Plan.
The current plans will see about an eighth of land currently zoned as recreational lost to the construction of the new units – approximately 5.2 acres of the site’s 40.95 acres of Recreational zoning.
Prior to the SDO going public, Gary Foster Skelton discussed the development with Diallo Rabain, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation.
The planning stage will also allow for public scrutiny, comment and objection to any proposed development, as was the case with the controversial SDO.
However, Minister Rabain hopes there won’t be as much tension as there was over the SDO. (WATCH highlight above, or the extended interview below)
SCROLL down for more detail on the proposed development at the Fairmont Southampton, and the final Special Development Order.
Details of Westend Properties’ SDO application, based on the accompanying Environmental Impact Assessment performed by Bermuda Environmental Consulting:
Of the 93.58 acre site, the total proposed building parcels is 21.3 acres – 10.7 acres on land zoned Tourism; 5.6 acres on land zoned Residential 2; and 5 acres on land zoned Recreation.
The plan is double the maximum allowed development from the [2009 SDO] approved 304,050 gross square feet to 619,129 gross square feet, built over about 16 years.
A total of up to 250 additional units are to be built, at a maximum height of 4 storeys, with 159 tourism units, and 91 residential units.
About an eighth of land currently zoned as recreational will be lost to the construction – approximately 5.2 acres of the site’s 40.95 acres of Recreational zoning. 3.7 acres of this is from the golf course.
