‘Less need for taller offices after Covid’

Views over St Helier from Fort Regent, signalling station. St Aubin’s Bay, Waterfront, Aqua Splash, Radisson Hotel, under pass, building cranes on new Horizon apartments site, Castle Quay apartments Picture: ROB CURRIE

Senator Sarah Ferguson said there was ‘increased pressure’ to build higher buildings, particularly in St Helier and ‘notably on the Waterfront’, which she said did not improve the quality of life.

She has lodged an amendment to the draft Bridging Island Plan, calling for a limit on developing tall buildings in town over eight storeys to be reduced to five. The document will set out planning policy for the next three years and is due to be debated in the spring.

In her amendment, Senator Ferguson said that ‘changes in the workplace in the post-pandemic era are likely, with more people working from home, thus lending weight to the reduction in the need for taller office blocks to accommodate staff’.

The draft policy states that buildings over eight storeys within town would be supported only ‘in exceptional circumstances and where the overall benefit to the community will demonstrably outweigh any adverse impacts’, while tall buildings over eight storeys will not be supported outside of St Helier. However, the States Member wants this height limit reduced to five storeys in each respect.

Senator Ferguson also highlighted a previous proposition brought by former Deputy Debbie De Sousa, which was approved by the States. It stated: ‘Tall buildings, defined as those above five storeys in height, will only be permitted where their exceptional height can be fully justified, in a design statement, in urban design terms. Development which exceeds the height of buildings in the immediate vicinity will not be approved.’

She said that, in the intervening years, developers had ‘pushed the boundaries to the limit, with an increasing number of buildings exceeding five storeys’. Her amendment attempted to ‘restrain the practice that has crept in’, she said.

Andium Homes chief executive Ian Gallichan told a recent Scrutiny hearing that the development of taller buildings in St Helier could form part of the solution to affordable housing provision in the Island.

Speaking at an Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel meeting last week, Mr Gallichan said: ‘I honestly believe we can go quite a bit higher, certainly in the north of St Helier. You have got a good backdrop there and I don’t think we should fear that.

‘I was looking the other day at some of these greened-up high-rise buildings. They are absolutely superb. It would be brilliant to see some of these buildings in St Helier. They are not skyscrapers and I’m not suggesting we go too high, but I think the current restriction is too much.’

A ‘landmark’ office tower up to three times the size of most St Helier buildings was considered in 2015 by then Environment Minister Steve Luce, who told the Chamber of Commerce it could help boost the economy. However, plans for the venture were ultimately shelved.

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