The proposal comes just over a year after the Co-op’s previous plans for the area were rejected by Environment Minister Rob Duhamel on the grounds that too many buildings of historic importance would be lost to the development.
At the time there was an outcry from heritage lobbyists who were opposed to the loss of four of six historic buildings in Pitt Street and Dumaresq Street.
However, the Co-op has said that if their latest plans are approved they would keep four historic properties at the site and give three of them to the National Trust for Jersey for restoration.
In a letter in Tuesday’s JEP, the Co-op’s chief executive, Colin Macleod, outlined the organisation’s offer to hand over the three historic buildings as well as offering to help raise funds for any restoration work the heritage group had planned for the buildings.
Mr Macleod said the chance to bring Premier Inn to Jersey was the ‘stimulus’ behind the latest plans.
‘This really came out of the blue,’ Mr Macleod said.
‘We were alerted to the fact that Premier Inn were looking for a site in Jersey and we believe that Charing Cross would be an excellent site for a hotel.’
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