Green light for multi-million Co-op plans

Wednesday 24 December 2014

Premier Inn will be coming to Jersey after the Co-op finally claimed victory in their long-running plans to redevelop their Charing Cross site.

Planning have given the go-ahead to the £12 million redevelopment of the site, including a new 91-room hotel and a bigger food store, as well as a café and offices.

The plans will see two of the oldest buildings in town at the back of the site demolished, but three others will be kept and restored to their former glory.

When the plans were unveiled months ago, Co-op chief executive Colin Macleod said that 83% of the building work could be done by Jersey companies with enough work to sustain 300 jobs, while more jobs were likely to be created by the enlarged food store.

A statement from the Planning department said that the politicians on the Planning Applications Panel had backed the department’s recommendation that they approve the plans.

They said: “The panel endorsed the recommendation, voting five to one in favour.  Panel members acknowledged the loss of the two important listed buildings but said on balance, the benefits of the current scheme in regenerating the town centre outweighed the loss.”