Fort Regent: deadline set for decision on its future

Wednesday 21 September 2016

What to do with Fort Regent is a question which has baffled the Island's politicians for years, but now the new States group set up to reorganise sport in Jersey have called for it to be answered before the end of this year.

Phil Austin is the Chairman of the group setting up 'Jersey Sport', an independent grant-funded body which he says will “change the face of sport across the Island” when it starts in April 2017. He wants the Fort complex up-graded and improved as a matter of some urgency.

Mr Austin says some facilities in Jersey are “pretty good,” but cites Fort Regent as a example of a venue which badly needs refurbishing.  

“It has deteriorated significantly over the last 15 years - definitely. There is no tender loving care for it and people just don’t know what to do with it. It is all ad-hoc planning, but I think they (the States) are close to determining what they need to do. 

“By the end of this year, they are going to have to make a decision on the future of it. There is a big debate going on about Fort Regent and what we are going to do about that. I think it tries to be all things to all men and doesn’t quite achieve that. I think it needs a major re-think. What is it? It is partly a kids nursery, partly squash, judo, bowls.  

“If you went to the UK and saw it as part of the local authority’s facility you would think it was pretty good I think the facilities on the Island are pretty good. They are not fantastic. The challenge is maintaining them under the States’ financial constraints.

“Jersey Sport won’t manage or own Fort Regent. If the States came to us and said we are closing Fort Regent, we would say hang on, where are you going with that? What are the alternatives for sport in the community? We would expect to be part of the discussions about Fort Regent.  

“We won’t be managing the Island’s sports facilities, because they will stay in States ownership, but a key part of our job will be to say you need to develop better facilities, maintain them and improve them. The facilities are not keeping pace.” 

The future of Fort Regent is one aspect of Jersey Sport’s remit, but the principle aim when it is launched next year, is to get more people involved in sport on a regular basis. 

Mr Austin said: “It’s not about elite sport, it is about sport in its broadest sense. Whether that is ladies doing pilates classes all the way up to representative-level soccer or cricket. It is about participation - getting those numbers up. 

“Jersey could become a world leader in physical literacy because we have got the ability to deliver in a relatively small area. It is about getting people active across the whole board.”

At the moment, Jersey does not have any data on how many people take part in sport on a regular basis, but that will change under the new umbrella organisation.

Mr Austin said: “We haven’t got that and we look at other models in Canada and Australia, they have got it. They have got it measured. We will have a data officer because if we are delivering programs, we need to know how many people are participating in sports. There is no way of measuring that now, but there will be. And it will be vital in helping our decisions.”

Cynics would argue that Jersey Sport will be yet a quango and another level of bureaucracy, but Mr Austin says that is inaccurate. 

“Just wait and see,” he said. “I set up Jersey Finance 15 years ago and back then people said why do we need it? I look at it now, employing 40 people and it is the body which represents and promotes the finance industry in Jersey, both on and off the Island. I see Jersey Sport doing the same thing.  

“I can see some people in sports clubs saying, ‘don’t tread on our toes.’ But we are not trying to run the Jersey Football Association, or the tennis association, or squash. We will be the representative body and the voice of sport in the Island. We will work to set a strategy for your sport by getting funds from the States, from sponsorship and we will help in any way we can. If you need our help, we will be there.” 

Jersey Sport will employ around 10-12 people when fully launched next year.