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Planning has been asked to approve turning the former The Bar on the Waterfront to a day nursery.
If permission is given, the now empty former bar and restaurant will become the new home of La Petite École, which is currently based at Fort Regent.
In March, the former Infrastructure Minister agreed to allow the lease on the building to change to let La Petite École move there, as 'nursery' had not featured in the original lease as a permitted use.
If Planning back the project, the ground-floor interior – with its multiple levels and ramps – will be stripped back to its original structure and redesigned to create a large reception, ‘cake-slice-shaped’ open-plan areas for play and rest.
Pictured: La Petite École is moving out of the Fort.
A single large play area will go upstairs and two external play areas will be created immediately outside the large glass wall on the ‘piazza’ and on the south-facing roof terrace.
The design statement says: “We seek to relocate a thriving day nursery from Fort Regent to a new and exiting location at the St Helier’s Waterfront district.
“The Waterfront Bar on La Rue de l’Etau will provide a fabulous new location for the day nursery, easily accessible on bike, foot and public transport, from St. Helier at the heart of this emerging residential district.”
It adds: “With minimal external changes proposed we seek to enhance and improve this public space, and our creative response to the interior arrangement will result in a bold, new and attractive daytime nursery in St Helier.
“The existing nursery staff at Fort Regent have shared their enthusiasm for the proposed new location, the fact that they will have to start to run, walk or cycle to work, and that the flat terrain will be very welcome for the children’s ‘trips’, rather than the hill walking around Fort Regent.”
To enable the change in use, amendments to the land lease with the Public of the Island passed through the Royal Court in July.
The Bar was built in 2000 and has been empty for more than two years.
As part of plans to redevelopment the Waterfront – which will be subject to a planning inquiry later this year – the structure will be demolished and replaced with a leisure building, including an indoor pool.
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