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Jersey has generated enough consultants' reports to form a bridge to France, and it's a fair bet that most of them have revolved around just two words: Fort Regent.
It's a building which dominates the town sky-line, and which is hugely well used by a variety of small clubs, associations, events and activities - all who have found their own corner to call their own.
Meanwhile, the costs for maintenance, repair or refurbishment of the site steadily mount. But the Express columnist, The Insider, has an answer...
"The new government needs a few tangible, landmark achievements which it can point to as ‘wins.’ This will help differentiate it from the under-achievement of past governments, and go some way to re-establishing public trust in the political process.
There is an easy opportunity to kill several birds with one stone, and so my public appeal to the new Chief Minister is to pick up that stone and throw it at Fort Regent. You have nothing to lose.
Digital Jersey recently said that a Digital Enterprise Academy, in the form of a “specialist and recognised campus for digital skills,” was central to the long-term success of Jersey as a Digital Economy. I have got a lot of time for Digital Jersey as this is one of the few areas of the economy with any prospect of generating a ‘return on people employed’ anywhere near that historically delivered by the Finance Industry.
Central to their proposition is space to accommodate a critical mass of tenants in a space for teaching, learning, living and starting small businesses. Bringing these activities under one roof would ‘turbo-charge’ the digital sector.
In parallel, Visit Jersey recently said that attempts to revive tourism were held back by mismanagement of the public realm. As usual, we need some sort of expert to state what is entirely obvious to most residents. They recommended redeveloping Fort Regent into a ‘fortress village,’ where people live, and where greater amenities are available. The report also says that Fort Regent should be a priority for redevelopment. They reference a luxury hotel, more self-catering accommodation, a national gallery and a reference to ‘wellness’ as a central theme of the tourism offering.
Pictured: The Fort building, with and without the pool
The problem is that the government does not have the expertise to deliver it, and now no longer has the money.
Yet the government has not been willing to cede control to the ‘rapacious’ private sector for fear of either a public backlash on an emotionally important asset, or simply being made a fool of.
But there is a third way which gives Digital Jersey and Visit Jersey what they are looking for, whilst demonstrating to the people of Jersey that the new government is capable of making a decision.
Following my previous comments in this column about Fort Regent, I’ve recently been sent an idea put forward in 2015 by a group of local entrepreneurs in the form of a detailed Memorandum of Understanding for a new community-based company to undertake the development of Fort Regent.
Nothing happened due to a lack of response from the States.
The proposal involved the establishment of a new community owned company which would be granted a 150-year lease over the whole of the Fort Regent area, meaning that the island retains legal ownership of the site.
That company would be 20% owned by local organisations supporting activity at the Fort - arts, sport, media, Visit Jersey, Digital Jersey, Jersey Heritage etc.; 15% by the employees, 15% by the local entrepreneurs and service providers developing the idea; and, crucially, 50% directly by the public.
The concept was based around giving the public an emotional and financial stake in the future of the Fort and any increase in value resulting from its development. The funding for the project would come from the entrepreneurs and, at a later stage, a bond offering.
Other than a few infrastructure requirements, the States were not being asked to fund the project and the people of Jersey were also not being asked to hand over complete control and ownership.
Although the proposal did not use the term ‘Fortress Village’ or ‘Digital Village’ it included a number of items which are central to the concept.
A community-based company represents a creative and dramatic shift in the way the government functions.
Without such creative thinking I suspect we will still be talking about Fort Regent at the next election, as an example of the government’s inability to tackle complex issues; and we might also be talking about the failure of Jersey to maximise the digital opportunities."
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