Doug Ford says Ports of Jersey either has to ‘give up the clock and the land to the Parish of St Helier or put their hands in their pockets’ and pay for its maintenance.
However, Ports of Jersey told the JEP that it would not invest any money into the upkeep of the Steam Clock, apart from keeping it safe.
The revived debate over the future of the controversial landmark comes after St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft appealed last week for the clock to be saved through States funding, as well as through the help of a group of ‘enthusiastic volunteers’.
Mr Ford said: ‘Ports were given millions of pounds’ worth of Island-owned assets and by not investing in it [the clock] they are breaking a social contract with the public and the States.’
He added: ‘Scrapping it would be rewarding neglect, but whatever happens, it has to remain a public space because the public paid for it.’
Responding to Mr Crowcroft’s appeal, a Ports spokesman said: ‘Our position has not changed from our previous statement in June 2016 in the fact that we will ensure the Steam Clock is kept safe and the surrounding area tidy but until there is a clear plan for its future we will not be investing in it.
‘We have already engaged with the local community and sought out their views and suggestions as to what is to become of the Steam Clock. We continue to welcome approaches from individuals and businesses who may wish to relocate the Steam Clock or take responsibility for it.’
The Steam Clock, which was first commissioned by the Waterfront Enterprise Board in 1996 at a cost of £250,000, was ‘gifted’ to Ports of Jersey in 2016 and its future is uncertain.
Infrastructure Minister Kevin Lewis, who practices horology – the study of making clocks – in his spare time, said: ‘I think it is really sad when I see tourists waiting by the steam clock for the clock to strike 12 with their cameras and nothing happens.
‘While I support Ports’ decision, I don’t necessarily agree with them.
‘If Mr Crowcroft was able to assemble a group of volunteers who could maintain and fix it for free, I think it could potentially be possible for the States to fund the chlorination and maintenance of the water in the moat.’
