A backbencher’s bid to stop the sale of the former Aviemore children’s home was defeated following a three-hour debate in the States Assembly yesterday.
St Clement representative Deputy Alex Curtis put forward a proposition to revoke the planned sale of Aviemore to the the States of Jersey Development Company, arguing that States Members and the public have not been given clear answers about the deal.
Deputy Curtis called for consultation with States Members and the public before any sale proceeds.
He said that too many critical questions remain unanswered, including why the property is being sold for less than half of its originally listed guide price.
Aviemore was originally listed for sale by tender in January 2024, inviting “offers in excess of £3 million”.
However, it is now set to be sold for just over £1.3 million with a clause allowing for additional payments depending on future development profits – though some States Members feel the details of this arrangement are too vague.
Opening the debate yesterday, Deputy Curtis said there were two elements of risk to the JDC proposals: that money might be spent on plans which were then aborted, or that the yield from any development would be lower than anticipated.
The St Clement representative pointed out that the government had found the money to buy the Seaside Café at Grève de Lecq, and said that the same approach should lead to a public benefit from the Aviemore site.
Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan said the sale to JDC would achieve the best value for taxpayers, adding that market conditions had changed since the valuation of the site for £3m.
Although he conceded that the initial report about the sale had not provided sufficient detail, Mr Jehan said that this information had since been made available and urged Members to avoid further “unnecessary delay”.
The proceeds of the sale could eventually rise to £2.5m, Ministers claimed, with plans to use the money to create an endowment fund benefitting those with experience of being in care.
The Constable of St Martin, Karen Stone, said she did not consider the land to be a prime site for housing, and that there were many other potential uses – “much-needed” sports facilities for the east of the island was one idea that she put forward.
Deputy Karen Wilson was among those supporting Deputy Curtis.
“This is not the time to sell off the island’s silver at bargain basement rates,” she said.
Deputy Jonathan Renouf said it was “very unfortunate” that Ministers had been unable to produce planning advice in favour of the site’s use for housing.
This advice was mentioned in the Government’s official response, but Mr Jehan admitted earlier in the debate that he wasn’t able to produce the emails containing this advice.
Warning against delay, Constable Simon Crowcroft recalled the former Jersey College for Girls site in St Helier, which he said had “sat empty for 15 years while people thought they had better ideas”.
“I’m concerned that if we don’t allow the JDC to get on with the job it will be in the long grass for a long time to come,” he added.
Politicians voted against the proposition by 29 votes to 13, with three abstentions.
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