The chief executive of the Jersey Development Company has been questioned over why the original plans to transform the Waterfront “fell over in the public arena”.
Lee Henry told the Public Accounts Committee how the States-owned entity’s revised vision for the area addressed concerns raised when the previous iteration of the scheme was refused in September 2023.
Nearly £3 million was spent on the initial plans, which were rejected following a unanimous decision made by then-Environment Minister Deputy Jonathan Renouf and his Assistant Minister at the time, Deputy Hilary Jeune, as well as Planning Committee chair Philip Le Sueur.
“Two primary concerns”
During Wednesday’s hearing, Public Accounts Committee member Deputy David Warr asked what had been missed on the first attempt and why the scheme “fell over in the public arena”.
Explaining that the JDC had analysed the public comments and community feedback stemming from the first application, Mr Henry said there were “two primary concerns”.
“One was the loss of the cinema, because we already had Fort Regent starting to be designed and very early considerations as to how this could be a potential facility elsewhere,” he continued.
“Also the proposal included the redevelopment – albeit still providing a pool – but a redevelopment of Aquasplash.”
Mr Henry added: “Those were the two components that the public, that the community fed back on – the loss of an indoor pool for two years whilst it’s being rebuilt, and the loss of the cinemas, that there wasn’t a satisfactory and committed solution for.
“We were prepared to enter into a commitment to planning whereby we wouldn’t remove the cinemas until the new cinema was built, but that didn’t allay the concerns of the community.”
Aquasplash is due to be retained under the updated plans, which also include proposals for a cinema, gym, art gallery, cafés and restaurants among other amenities.
The scheme is one of several high-profile development projects to have been announced in recent years, including the £110m Fort Regent regeneration plans unveiled earlier this year.
During yesterday’s hearing Mr Henry also said that the government was due to present an anticipated programme of projects to the construction industry before the end of the year.
“”That is effectively to, first of all, inform the market and the industry as to what is going to be coming down the track, to then assess the capacity,” he explained.
PAC chair Deputy Inna Gardiner asked whether Andium and JDC projects were included in the programme.
Mr Henry responded: “Yes – my understanding is Jersey Development Company, Andium, Ports of Jersey as well as government, will be in that profile, in that forward forecast that will be presented later this year.”