THE Chief Minister and senior members of the government have said they support the principle of buying a former café at Grève de Lecq to safeguard it for the public.
But Deputy Kristina Moore and Treasury Minister Ian Gorst, who represent voters in the north-west of the Island, say that a debate in the States Assembly is not the best way to achieve that.
They argue that the proposition to acquire the land – originally put forward by Deputy Lyndon Farnham, who also represents the St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter district – should be deferred while negotiations with the owner take place.
They shared their position after the fourth Deputy in the district, Lucy Stephenson, proposed a change to Deputy Farnham’s proposal, seeking to – among other things – find a way to make it easier for the States to purchase similar sites to the former Seaside Café, also formerly known as the Café Romany, and its large car park.
Deputy Moore said: ‘Deputy Gorst and I are aligned with Deputy Stephenson, who has been dealing with this issue since last year’s election, along with Infrastructure Minister Tom Binet. We support the principle [of purchase] but do not consider that a debate in the Assembly would be in the best interests of the public.
‘We would prefer if Deputy Farnham’s proposition was deferred at this stage to allow for more formal talks with the owner in order to negotiate the best price.’
Deputy Farnham’s proposal, which will be debated at the next States sitting, asks for approval to buy the coastal site, which is on the market for £5 million undeveloped or £11m with a four-bedroomed luxury home and 100-cover café, which have planning permission.
Deputy Stephenson’s amendment seeks to guarantee that the site, if purchased, will be of ‘environmental, cultural and social benefit’ to the public, which could involve partner organisations, such as the Bosdet Foundation, coming on board.
The Assistant Chief Minister also wants to find a better way for the government to become aware of properties or land which it might want to buy on behalf of the public.
Her amendment asks the Treasury Minister to ‘consider options, consulting as necessary, for enabling the government to be notified when properties or areas of significant value to the people of Jersey become available so that early consideration can be given to potentially acquiring them on behalf of the public’.
Explaining the rationale behind her proposal, Deputy Stephenson said: ‘The Café Romany site does not represent the first occasion on which the States has found itself on the back foot in respect of potentially acquiring properties or areas of land that are of value to Islanders.
‘On occasions, we have managed to make up lost ground, but on other occasions the opportunity has passed us by entirely, and we now look on with regret at subsequent developments or loss of public amenity.
‘I appreciate this is a delicate subject, and the part [of the amendment] has therefore been drafted carefully and broadly, but I believe it is worth considering how we can avoid similar scenarios in future.’
