The Infrastructure Minister has defended ambitious proposals to redevelop Fort Regent as “achievable” and “realistic”, but some politicians have raised concerns over how the scheme’s estimated £110m price tag will be met…
Unveiled earlier this week, the latest vision for the historic site – produced alongside the States of Jersey Development Company (JDC) – includes plans for a rooftop bar, six-screen cinema, indoor climbing wall, 2,500-seat acoustic theatre in Gloucester Hall, plus a hotel,
The government has said the cost of the redevelopment is estimated at £110 million, excluding the new hotel which will be privately funded.
It has also stated that financing for the project will come from the sources listed below:
- Additional Government contributions: Public sector efficiency savings and budget surpluses, where available.
- Revenues from Fort Regent: Income from rental agreements, events revenue and other commercial activities.
- Borrowing: To prevent further delays, enabling immediate investment while spreading repayment over time.
- Existing Capital Budget contributions: Allocations from annual capital budgets.
“Where’s the money coming from?”
Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel chair Deputy Hilary Jeune highlighted the connection to ‘Project Breakwater’, which Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham has previously said would “aim to deliver substantial long overdue investment into the island’s public realm, including Fort Regent”.
Deputy Jeune said: “We keep requesting information and we know the Council of Ministers have had a number of briefings on that, but we have no more information.
“The plans look great…but where’s the money coming from?”
Deputy Jeune also questioned whether the scheme’s viability could potentially “hinge” on the hotel being built, pointing out that it would need to be “sympathetic” in its design to avoid friction with the island’s planning policies.
“We would hope very much that it doesn’t become a hospital saga on the hill,” she added.
“It’s not just the monetary cost”
Panel member and St Helier South Deputy David Warr also noted the need for clarity as to “where the £110m is going to come from”.
“That’s before we even talk about the hotel potentially going up,” he added.
“Why can’t we do this in a staged way, section by section and break it down into a more financially feasible way of doing it?”
Additionally, Deputy Warr raised concerns over “shutting the Fort down in its entirety” while the redevelopment took place.
“That loss of social capital will be of real detriment to the people of St Helier,” he explained.
“I understand that over 1,000 people a week use the Fort.
“It’s not just [about] the monetary cost.”
“We cannot leave it in a state of disrepair”
It is not the first time that proposals for a major redevelopment of Fort Regent have been subject to scrutiny.
A previous scheme, titled ‘Future Fort’, was announced by John Le Fondré’s government but scrapped by Kristina Moore’s two years later.
Commenting on the new proposals, Deputy Moore said: “There is a strategic question to ask regarding the level of investment that is required in our infrastructure and how that is going to realistically be delivered in a way that the island can afford.”
Deputy Moore continued: “But I have to say I am delighted to see progress has been made in the plans that we began in 2022 to redevelop the Fort.
“It’s a great site that has a huge amount of potential and desperately needs to be moved forward for the benefit of islanders and visitors, because we cannot leave it in a state of disrepair.”
“A realistic scheme”
Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan described the redevelopment as “achievable”.
“The devil is always in the detail but part of the work [we have] done so far has been to ensure a sustainable offering,” he said.
“Hopefully people can see it’s a realistic scheme,” he added, noting that revenue would be generated from rent, as well as events and use of the planned activities and amenities.
“We need to test it now with the public.
“The consultation is key.”
