Minister rejects claims of misleading the public over 'Costa de St Brelade'

Tuesday 27 September 2016

The Environment Minister has hit back at claims his department has spent money elsewhere that was earmarked to stop one of Jersey's most beautiful bays becoming Costa de St Brelade.

Deputy Steve Luce says he strongly refutes the claims of the now disbanded St Brelade's Working Party and says he couldn't work with them because of their, "unrealistic aspirations."

The former chairman of the St Brelade’s Working Party, Moz Scott, wrote to Deputy Luce suggesting his department had "misled the public", that money the group was promised had been diverted elsewhere and its suggestions ignored. She claims the department has “...used funds partly earmarked for the plan on other projects,” and that civil servants “...have derailed the proposed plan.”

But the Environment Minister says that's not the case and his department are working on ways to protect the bay.

Environment Minister Steve Luce said: “I would wish to refute many of the claims made by the St Brelade’s Bay Working Party. I am committed, along with my department, to developing new Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) for St Brelade’s Bay.

“This guidance will complement the existing and robust planning policy framework that already exists in the States-approved Island Plan. The purpose of this additional guidance will be to provide a set of simple principles to protect and enhance the character of the bay, whilst ensuring the reasonable expectation of business and residents to be able to continue to invest in and to develop their premises and homes.

“St Brelade's Bay is one of the Island's premier tourist destinations thanks, in part, to successive Island Plans that have protected its essential character whilst allowing the provision of facilities and infrastructure to support the tourism industry there. Additional guidance will provide new tools to decision-makers to ensure that the existing qualities of the bay are protected and enhanced in the assessment of development proposals. 

In July 2014 an independent planning report recommended a local development masterplan should be drawn up for St Brelade’s Bay “as a matter of urgency.” The suggestion was prompted by concerns that development was happening piecemeal, and was having a detrimental affect on one of the Island’s top tourist destinations and leading to a “Costa de St Brelade.”

Deputy Luce says his department had tried to work with the Group before it disbanded, but their plans for the Bay were too ambitious.

He said: “Officers of my department have been in discussion with the St Brelade’s Bay Working Party for some considerable time.

 “We have tried to work together in partnership with the local residents group in the development of new guidance but this has proved too difficult, principally because the aspirations of the group are unrealistic and beyond the scope of this present piece of work.

“We have the support of the Connétable and we will continue to consult with businesses, residents and the wider community as new draft guidance for the bay is prepared. Once adopted, the SPG will complement the existing Island Plan and become a consideration in the determining of planning applications for St Brelade’s Bay.

“The development of this guidance is being progressed alongside other important department Island Plan policy work.

“This includes progression of the strategic priority to regenerate St Helier (Future St Helier); the review of the Esplanade Quarter Masterplan; the development of the Jersey Infrastructure Levy; and the development of new or revised supplementary guidance for the design of homes; parking standards and planning obligation agreements.

“This work will be resourced from existing department budgets and it is expected the SPG will be adopted during this medium term financial plan period.”

Newly elected Senator, Sarah Ferguson, who lives in the area, will be highlighting the situation in this week’s States sitting, and wants to get official backing and another £100,000 for Environment department to draw up a Long-Term Development Plan for the bay.

She said: “A plan would give the bay’s tourist businesses the opportunity to promote measures and planning strategies designed to assist the growth of businesses that are largely reliant on the preservation of the bay’s natural settings.”