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Ministers are to be asked to buy land from Jersey Gas in the north St Helier, in order to enlarge the Millennium Town Park, and add in public car parking.
The plan is being proposed by the Constable of St Helier, Simon Crowcroft, who wants a bigger park, rather than new homes, to be built on the site.
His proposition says that the Island Plan (2011, revised in 2014) suggested that St Helier suffered from a deficit of open amenity space – something which the Constable’s proposal would seek to remedy.
It stated that while Jersey fortunately has large areas of natural greenspace and beaches in the rural parishes, “…the provision of more formal facilities such as parks, play areas and amenity space have more significance in urban areas.”
This is not the first attempt to acquire the site, however, with the States having already debated the question on several occasions. In 2014, a planning application to build nearly 300 units of accommodation on the site prompted a petition to prevent the determination of the application.
While the application ultimately failed, it prompted multiple States members to praise the current town park.
During the debate, Deputy Sam Mézec reflected: “When we look at the Town Park… I mean, who could possibly think that it was a bad decision to have put that there in the first place? It really is fantastic for town. It is fantastic for my constituency. There are very, very few times where you can walk through the park and not see it being enjoyed by someone.”
According to Mr Crowcroft’s proposal, such previous debates – and acclaim for the park – are “ample evidence that an extension of the Millennium Town Park is possible.”
“The benefits of increased green amenity space in St Helier hardly need rehearsing further, though the health benefits, both physical and psychological, are especially relevant as we contemplate the rising costs of healthcare in Jersey,” he concluded.
He wants funds generated by the development of the St Helier waterfront into the International Finance Centre to be used to buy the land, as a way of regenerating the town:
"The Esplanade Quarter Masterplan has guaranteed that proceeds from the development of Jersey’s International Finance Centre can legitimately be applied to a regeneration project such as the extension of the Millennium Town Park. Accordingly, I am asking the States to agree that the Council of Ministers should seek to acquire the site for the creation of much-needed open amenity space with parking as appropriate."
States Members are due to debate his proposal in January.
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