Today St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft has pledged not to give up in his opposition to the newly approved scheme to build 285 homes at the former Gas Works site.
Approved units:
Gas Place – 285
Westmount – 242
Fort D’Auvergne – 40
JCG -159
West Water – 11
Zephyrus – 58
Le Coin – 23
Pending units:
Grand Marche – 183
Hotel Metropole – 174
Ann Street Brewery – 19
He is calling on the States to buy the site and use it to extend the Millennium Town Park and provide extra parking in town.
One Island developer put the cost of buying the site now that it had been granted planning permission as ‘heading towards £10 million’.
The Constable also said he would support local residents who wanted to appeal against the decision.
The development in Tunnell Street is the latest in a line of planning schemes proposed for St Helier, which ministers are proposing be put at the heart of government policy over the next four years.
In total more than 800 new homes have been approved at a number of St Helier sites, including 242 at Dandara’s scheme at Westmount and 159 at the former Jersey College for Girls site. An additional 40 homes have been given the go ahead at Fort d’Auvergne at Havre des Pas, while two developments at the Waterfront on an area of land close to the Radisson hotel have also been approved, with 11 units at a scheme called West Water and 58 at another called Zephyrus.
Meanwhile, several schemes which would provide a total of around 400 units – including 183 at a site close to Grande Marché and the Gas Place development, 174 at the Hotel Metropole and 19 at the former Ann Street Brewery site – are awaiting approval.
On Monday Environment Minister Steve Luce approved the plans for one-, two- and three-bedroom flats as well as two commercial units on the former Gas Works site. Jersey Gas had amended its plans to set the development further back from the road and to include 30 public parking spaces.
The proposals had prompted an outcry from neighbours and the North of St Helier Association last year and resulted in Constable Crowcroft bringing a proposition to the States that would have prevented development of the site, barring a possible extension to the nearby Millennium Town Park. States Members rejected that proposal last month.
Today Mr Crowcroft one again spoke out against the Gas Place development, calling it ‘wholly excessive’ and ‘overbearing’. He added that he would be asking the States to buy the land in order to extend the Millennium Town Park.
He said: ‘The cost of the land will be higher because of the planning permission. It was never going to be cheap anyway. I will be asking the States to buy this piece of land to increase the size of the park and to offer some parking as well if we can fit that on.
‘The arguments have been well rehearsed – if we don’t provide open spaces there will be all kinds of problems in the future in terms of health and the quality of life.’
He added: ‘The main reason I’m against it is because it could be a missed opportunity to extend the town park. It’s pretty small and very well used. To extend it would be of tremendous value.’
The site was previously earmarked for housing by the States under the North of Town Masterplan, which aims to rejuvenate the northern part of St Helier.
Mr Crowcroft said: ‘I don’t blame the minister because the mistakes were made earlier on in the Island Plan and the North of Town Masterplan. The idea of extending the town park was no secret but when the Island Plan was devised that possibility was taken away.
‘Having said that, I’m not giving up. I hope that the town park can be extended and that this development is not built.’
Meanwhile, Mr Crowcroft said he would support any residents who wanted to appeal against the decision.
Bernie Manning, chairman of the North of St Helier Association, also criticised the development, saying that residents’ views had been ignored and that the amended plans had not been readvertised.
Peter Le Gresley, development control director with the Planning Department, said: ‘The minister has carefully considered the amended plans and all representations received, assessed the development against the States-approved Island Plan, the North Town Masterplan and the planning guidance for the Jersey Gas site, and on balance has decided to approve the application.’
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build nearly 300 homes at Gas Place received support from the Planning Department last month.
The scheme, which prompted protests last year, was recommended for approval and then approved by Environment Minister Steve Luce.
The development is a construction of a complex of buildings next to the Millennium Town Park on land off Tunnel Street and Rue Masurier which is currently used by owners Jersey Gas.
The proposal includes the building of 285 one, two and three-bedroom flats and two commercial units, housed in four main blocks that vary in height between three and six storeys.
The site was previously earmarked for housing by the States under the North of Town Masterplan, which aims to rejuvenate the northern part of St Helier.
However, the plans, put forward by Jersey Gas, prompted an outcry from neighbours and the North St Helier Association last year.
That campaign resulted in St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft bringing a proposition before the States that would have prevented development of the site, barring a possible extension to the Millennium Town Park.
States Members rejected Mr Crowcroft’s proposal in January. Chairman of the North of St Helier Association Bernie Manning, who led the campaign against the scheme, said: ‘We are concerned about two things: the fact that the development is overpowering, with too many flats on the site, and the lack of parking in the area.
‘Ideally we could do with an underground car park there rather than more flats.
‘This area should be used for parking and extending the Millennium Town Park for the whole Island.’
Mr Manning, an events organiser who lives in Havre des Pas, said that ideally the States would agree to acquire the land.
If the Jersey Gas plans are approved, the company will relocate to a new site at La Collette.
The development would also include the demolition of existing gasworks, offices, a showroom and staff accommodation at the site to make way for the homes, semi-basement parking and landscaped public spaces.
