A recent freedom-of-information request revealed that funds allocated to refurbish the park had been used for other purposes after the parish’s Recreational Board raised concerns about the proposed changes put forward by government officials.
However, Assistant Economic Development Minister Hugh Raymond, who has responsibility for sport, said that he was hoping to meet St John Constable Andy Jehan in the next week to discuss how they could work to improve facilities at the Mont Mado site.
The recreation centre has 28 user groups and the board said the facility was ‘at capacity’.
In meeting notes compiled by sport officers, which formed part of the FOI response, the board said: ‘There is currently a healthy balance of users at this facility and it was felt if this skating refurbishment and enhancement went ahead this balance would be destabilised.’
The board added that the proposed improvements did not fit in with the ‘current business plan’ for the grounds. ‘The board was very happy with the current skating facilities but an enhancement would drive more traffic and parking is already stretched, especially at weekends and peak times,’ they said.
The meeting notes revealed that the parish was working with the St John Skating Association to refresh the licence agreement that is in place and that sport officers had repurposed the funds for use in other areas.
Deputy Raymond said: ‘Money had been allocated in the Government Plan to improve St John but that went back into the budget to deal with other sporting issues.
‘We are hoping to meet the Constable [of St John] again next week to discuss how we can work together and if there is any necessary improvements that need to be made to any of the facilities at the recreation ground.’
