Tourist accommodation could be built on Harbour Gallery site

Sunday 04 December 2022

Four self-catering units could be developed on the site of the Harbour Gallery in St. Aubin after it leaves its home of two decades next year.

The gallery is set to leave the site in January at the end of its lease, with the owner of the building at Le Boulevard now seeking to develop visitor accommodation.

The application by Waddington Architects on behalf of Harbour Front Ltd also includes the relocation of the existing café at the site to the ground floor, alongside a small retail space.

The café would operate during the same hours as it does currently – 9am to 4pm daily – and maintain the existing capacity of 60 covers.

Four self-catering units, each suitable for two people, would be developed on the upper floors of the building, while the application also covers a series of internal and external alterations and additional windows.

The application acknowledges the shortage of parking in St Aubin, stating that the maximum occupancy of the building would fall from 112 people to 78 and therefore not create additional demand for parking.

Reference is also made to a growing demand from tourists for high-quality self-catering accommodation, and to the availability of sustainable transport options such as bicycles and buses.

A previous application to set up a fitness centre on the site sparked several objections from local residents and was withdrawn in May.

Art in the Frame, the charity which operates the Harbour Gallery, has applied for planning permission to reopen the gallery on a new site at Commercial Buildings.

Pictured: 19 Commercial Buildings in St. Helier.

If approved, the charity hopes to create "art studios, work rooms, galleries, exhibition spaces, and retails of art and art materials" at a Grade 3 Listed former merchant's house opposite St. Helier Harbour.