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Plans to radically overhaul St Helier’s waterfront will be assessed by the same man who approved the now-scrapped £800m Our Hospital project.
Independent inspector Philip Staddon, who last year deemed proposals to build a health campus at Overdale compatible with the island’s planning policies, will return to the fray in May to assess another major taxpayer-backed project.
Mr Staddon, the former head of Regeneration at Gloucester City Council, has been confirmed as the lead inspector to oversee a public inquiry into an application to develop the waterfront.
Opening on Monday 15 May, the inquiry will last around five days. Afterwards, Mr Staddon will compile all the evidence and make a recommendation to Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf as to whether he should accept or reject the application.
Jersey Development Company – the publicly-owned firm which has submitted the plans - wants to build 984 homes, a leisure centre on the site of the current swimming pool, a new slipway at West Park, a boardwalk pier, new public gardens and open spaces, an arthouse cinema and a lido-style outdoor pool.
Pictured: Independent Planning Inspector Philip Staddon will return to St. Paul's Centre in May.
Recently, the plans have been amended to lower the height of several blocks, change basement designs to reduce the amount of material which has to be excavated, halving the number of crossings across Rue de Libération from two to one, and moving the recently listed La Frégate café 200m to the north-west.
The application has, so far, 77 plans attached, 117 supporting documents, 24 consultations, 25 public comments and 41 other documents such as amended drawings.
Like the hospital inquiry, Mr Staddon’s ‘Bible’ will be the Bridging Island Plan, which was approved last March by the previous Assembly.
He will judge the application against its policies, which includes guidance that buildings in the area should not be higher than eight storeys.
The plan also supports denser development in St Helier over building in the countryside.
Deputy Renouf said: “I encourage Islanders to engage with this inquiry and submit their comments through the official channels for consideration by the inspector.
“The hearings at St Paul’s Centre in town will see the plans examined in great detail, and will hear from many stakeholders and Islanders with a keen interest. I look forward to receiving Mr Staddon’s report.”
Pictured: The Waterfront plans including moving La Frégate café 200m to the north-west on yet-to-be reclaimed land.
Anyone wishing to make a representation, formally known as a ‘Statement of Case’, in advance of the hearings is required to make their submission in writing by midnight on 19 March 2023. There’s a limit of 1,500 words.
Those wishing to expand on their initial Statement of Case can submit a more detailed ‘Proof of Evidence’ before midnight on 16 April 2023.
Statements of Case and Proofs of Evidence should be emailed to the Inquiry Programme Officer at progofficer@aol.com or sent by post to: Mrs Helen Wilson, SWSH Waterfront Programme Officer c/o IHE (Regulation), PO Box 228, Jersey, JE4 9SS.
JDC’s plans can be viewed online on gov.je and will soon go on display at Jersey Library.
Before recommending that the Our Hospital plans are approved last year, Mr Staddon had twice recommended that plans to build a new hospital in Gloucester Street were rejected.
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