They were taken by the Home Affairs Minister who last year withdrew proposals for so-called ‘user-pays’ charges amid a storm of protest. The proposals prompted the organisers of Jersey Live to threaten to take the event to Guernsey instead and Senator Wendy Kinnard withdrew them for reconsideration. The plan was to charge commercial events but to exempt others such as the Battle of Flowers. The States police were fully behind the proposals, which are in line with common practice in the UK, where forces charge to police, for example, concerts and football matches. The new proposals have been described as ‘more collaborative’ and although they are understood to have been well received by the Council at their fortnightly meeting yesterday, no final decision was taken on whether to take them to the States for approval. Senator Kinnard said: ‘The Council supported me to take this new proposal and discuss it further with the Honoraries before bringing it back to the Council of Ministers at a later date. That is what is planned next.’
The Heart of Island Life
