The owner of the former Nude Dunes building at La Pulente has submitted new plans to turn the site into an “economically viable” beach café rather than a high-end restaurant — after politicians last month voted against a proposal to convert part of it into self-catering accommodation.
The proposal to make the premises more attractive to potential buyers and to make it a viable business comes as site owner Nadia Miller is also appealing the Planning Committee’s decision to reject the previous application.
This followed concerns about potential “creeping” development and “privatisation” of a public site.
The new application outlines plans to remodel the existing restaurant into a beach café, enclose the south-western terrace to create 42 square metres of all-weather dining space, and introduce a single unit of tourist accommodation.
Pictured: The plans submitted last year were the subject of a protest that saw hundreds of islanders gather at the site.
A statement supporting the application reads: “The restaurant in its current format is economically unviable.
“The restaurant has been closed for over a year and despite extensive marketing and publicity, no buyer for the premises can be found.
“It is clear that something must be done to re-open these vacant premises to the public.”
It continued: “The applicant’s aim is to re-open the premises as an economically viable beach café, and to provide a unit of tourist accommodation at the premises.
“The high-end restaurant, with its integral problems of a kitchen that is too small to serve such an establishment, would be rectified by remodelling the business around the provision of a beach café at the premises.”
The former restaurant, which had previously been put on the market for £3.5m, then later for £2.2m, has been on the market for 18 months – with Ms Miller explaining that she cannot negotiate the asking price for “legal reasons”.
“It appears unlikely that a new restaurant operator will be found for the premises,” the planning statement reads.
“There is strong concern that if an operator were found willing to take a risk, they would meet the same fate as Nude Food.
“Therefore, something must be done to bring the premises back into productive use.”
This, the application argues, is due to how restaurants are currently facing challenging conditions and spiralling costs – evidenced by the closure of Sugar Banana Thai Kitchen in St Aubin in November.
Pictured: The owner of the St Aubin-based Thai restaurant made the “heartbreaking decision” to close her business due to “spiralling costs” last year.
It also points to the previous success of Hideout – a kiosk that operated on the slipway for seven years – for showing that there would be “demand for a small-scale beach café at the site”.
The proposal includes plans to enclose the south-western terrace with a glazed aluminium frame structure and add a retractable roof to the north-eastern terrace.
“These enclosures would allow the southwest terrace to be used year-round, increasing the economic viability of the café,” the application reads.
“Due to the climate of Jersey, the outside terraces are realistically only usable during the warmer summer months in dry weather.
“Jersey’s climate renders these external terraces unusable for the majority of the year.”
The statement suggests that the original designer of the premises was “overly optimistic” about Jersey’s weather conditions — and how the outdoor terraces would be used.
“Climate change is occurring and global temperatures are rising, and the reality of this is becoming more apparent,” it added.
The proposed beach café would occupy 135 square metres, including a kitchen, storage, and an enclosed terrace.
The tourist accommodation would comprise 97 square metres, featuring two bedrooms, a living area, bathroom, and an office space with views across St Ouen’s Bay.
Pictured: Former owner Karl Sutton at the Hideout on the slipway at La Pulente. (David Ferguson)
The application adds: “Self-catering tourist accommodation, especially something as unique as the accommodation proposed, would act as a boost to the local economy as visitors spend money locally on food, activities, and other services, thereby supporting local businesses such as shops, restaurants, and attractions.”
A converted former toilet block, which was controversially sold off by the parish for just £100,000, the site was briefly home to Nude Dunes which went bust in November 2023 just months after opening its doors.
It has been vacant since and, last July, news broke that Ms Miller had not been able to find a buyer or operator for the restaurant and wanted to have it converted to a tourist let.
The plans for a two-bedroom self-catering unit with an attached café and public toilets were refused in December after garnering more than 120 public comments, with Islanders raising a number of concerns ranging from “creeping” development in the coastal park area to the potential “privatisation” of a site enjoyed by the public.
Last month’s refusal of those plans also comes around five months after St Brelade Deputy Montfort Tadier co-ordinated a protest at the site – attended by between 250 and 300 people – to “show support for the protection of La Pulente and the wider coastline from privatisation and overdevelopment”.
The application had been recommended for refusal by planning officer Lawrence Davies, who argued that “community interest is better served by the use of the building as a café or restaurant which is widely available to the general public”.
He had also disagreed with the owner’s assertion that the former restaurant – which had previously been put on the market for £3.5m, then later for £2.2m – couldn’t be sold, saying it would “likely” attract a “willing buyer” were the price to be dropped — somewhat that Ms Miller has since said cannot be done due to “legal reasons”.
READ MORE…
Controversial Nude Dunes plan facing rejection as Planning criticise sale price
Plans submitted to transform Nude Dunes into tourist accommodation
Hundreds protest against tourist accommodation plans for Nude Dunes site