Plans to make safety improvements to the former railway tunnels in St Aubin are advancing to ensure “a safe and sustainable future” for the site and its tenants – who had previously been faced with the prospect of having to find new premises.
The government has now put forward a planning application seeking to install fire screens and fire doors, with security gates added to the main tunnel and galleries.
It comes after it emerged that the site’s tenants – which also include the owners of Le Petit Train who keep their trains there when they are not in use on the promenade – were facing the prospect of having to find new premises amid safety concerns.
A petition to remain at the site by the St Brelade’s Smallbore Rifle Club garnered hundreds of signatures.
Earlier this year, Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan said the government had “agreed to undertake work in the tunnels at St Aubin to enable shooting clubs to continue operating there”.
A cover letter submitted as part of the planning application by Jersey Property Holdings explained that, following risk assessments that had identified a need for upgrades, a number of options had been considered.
This included the possibility of closing the tunnel, which was deemed “not desirable”, as it would “likely accelerate the dilapidation of the listed structure”.
The application to proceed with making the upgrades is the preferred option and in the best interest of the public
Government of Jersey Property Holdings
It also stated that relocating the existing users would be “detrimental”, describing them as “very well established” and with “challenging requirements which the tunnels can accommodate”.
“The Government of Jersey property portfolio do not have anything similar that could comfortably re-house these clubs and small businesses,” the letter explained.
“That being housing two trains, and two gun clubs with shooting ranges that require a very long, secure, covered space that provides a secluded environment where they are unlikely to cause a nuisance.”
It also concluded that decanting the clubs and businesses would have “a substantial impact”, noting that the tenants “all serve the community” or the Island’s tourism industry.
The application is also accompanied by a report produced by Jersey War Tours, which outlines the site’s Second World War history and concluded the proposed fire curtains would have “no major impact”.
The Property Holdings cover letter added: “The application to proceed with making the upgrades is the preferred option and in the best interest of the public.
“The improvements will ensure a safe and sustainable future for the existing tenants, who serve the community. It will also ensure a sustainable future for the tunnels themselves.”
