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Ministers are prioritising the creation of a new youth centre in town over improvements to one in St Clement.
During this week's States Assembly meeting, Deputy Karen Wilson raised concerns about the "re-profiling" of funds set aside for planned improvements to the Le Squez Youth Centre in St Clement in the new budget.
She questioned whether this decision was creating an unfair competition between parishes, with one being prioritised over the other.
She said: “We have now got one parish pitched against the other in terms of its development around youth services.”
Connétable Andy Jehan, responding, confirmed that the improvements at Le Squez have been delayed until 2028 but assured that current services at the facility would continue without interruption.
“It is important to highlight so that the current services delivered from the centre will continue and there'll be no change in the youth work delivery,” he said.
The decision to reallocate resources to a new youth facility in town was made in consultation with the youth service, he added, to ensure that young people in the area receive equal access to services.
When asked whether consultation had been done with young people in the area, the Constable said he was not sure.
He added: “We need to provide services in St Helier, and the decisions be made to make that a priority.”
The idea of creating a new youth centre in St Helier has been on the agenda for several years amid concerns over a lack of a safe environment for young people to come together in the evenings.
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