Archeological supervision at skatepark dig "would have been recommended"

Tuesday 23 March 2021

Government officers should have had archaeological supervision when digging holes in the historic South Hill Gardens to investigate a new skatepark last year, a report has said.

Despite no planning permission being in place, a total of eight 'test pits' - one of which was directly over the site of a former German hut - were dug as part of the site review in October.

The Government has now submitted a retrospective planning application, including a report from Bioarcheologist Dr Rosalind Le Quesne, who was asked to assess the activity.

While she concluded that it was "unlikely" any potential archeological findings had been disturbed by creating the holes, she was clear that archeological supervision "would have been recommended" for carrying out work in the historic area. 

Pictured: The trial holes were dug in October 2020, and were only archaeologically assessed following retrospective planning permission.

According to her report, South Hill Gardens was used as a quarry during the late 19^th Century, with its granite being used on the forts and towers on the island. 

The quarry was abandoned in the 1920s, turning into a municipal tip for St. Helier, and the parish’s unemployed were made to fill it in.

However, it once more took on a historically significant purpose during the German Occupation, when the Germans used it as a POW camp for American prisoners.

Though there are two German huts sited further south into the quarry area, the report notes that as it is likely the camp was constructed from temporary corrugated structures, the material would have been recycled soon after the Liberation. 

Pictured: The trial holes were made "to understand the nature of the ground and underlying rock strata of the Site."

Though the retrospective assessment found that seven of the trial holes were unlikely to result in any adverse impact, as they were outside of areas of potential German structural remains, one hole (TH2) was directly over an area where a hut was positioned in the 1940s.

Despite this, on-site recording from a senior engineer showed there was “no evidence” of archaeology relating to this structure found during the excavation.

Plans to build the skate park at South Hill have come under intense scrutiny in recent months.

Experienced Société Jersiaise geologist, Dr John Renouf, slammed the Government for considering the build, saying the area was of “inestimable geological importance", and contained remnants of a 500,000-year-old beach.

Pictured: Dr John Renouf outlined the significance of South Hill, dating back 500,000 years.

There was also a States Assembly dispute about whether the park should go at Les Quennevais or at South Hill, with opposing proposals being lodged by Senator Steve Pallett and Senator Lyndon Farnham.

In the end, the decision on whether to build at South Hill or Les Quennevais wasn’t voted on, with the Senators instead agreeing that planning applications should be submitted for both. 

Senator Lyndon Farnham said the reason for this move was “to deliver both projects - a really good facility for Les Quennevais and a really good one for St. Helier, preferably at South Hill.”