Another big step forward for Jersey's new finance centre

Wednesday 22 March 2017

Jersey's Planning Committee has approved the plans for the next building in the International Finance Centre. Currently known as IFC 6, it's a five storey office block, with a food and beverage area on the ground floor and an underground car park.

All members of the committee voted in favour of the application after the officer responsible called the building "a suitable partner to the other ones." IFC 1 and IFC 6 are already underway, with the former nearly complete.

Concerns were raised during the Committee meeting regarding parking spaces and the Esplanade master plan, which was published in 2008 and is still awaiting another review.

John Baker, a resident of Millais House, said: "The six buildings will bring in an extra 10,000 staff working on this side of town and there is not sufficient parking space, even if we take into account the proposed 520 space underground car park. There is no concession in the application for people to drive."

Sean Power, former deputy and one of the leaders of the St Helier Waterfront Action Group, told the committee: "I do not understand how an application can be taken into account and processed when there is indication that the master plan has to be reviewed."

Supporting the application, Lee Henry, Managing Director of Jersey Development Company, told the committee that the building costs for the car park are estimated between £23 and £25million. "The funding for this will only be released when the investment is done. We need all funds from the IFC building to carry out the works."

Constable Juliette Gallichan, Chair of the Committee, said: "This is fairly straight forward although somewhat contentious. I understand the concerns related to parking and the master plan but feel those have been dealt with. The design that we can see in the first building is of good standard and, having visited the building, I can say the working conditions it provides are good."

Deputy Graham Truscott said: "This is another step along the journey. The delivery of the first building underlines the high standard of the project and I take comfort that the issue of parking will be controlled."

The first building who is nearing completion is expected to be fully let by the end of this year while 21,000 square feet are still available in the second one. Lee Henry told the Committee that JDC was already in talk with three prospective tenants for building 6.