THE Millennium Town Park could almost double in size following Andium Homes’ decision to drop plans to develop the former Jersey Gas headquarters.
But progress on the proposals has stalled after the government said it wanted to consider alternative uses for the site – with one of those rumoured to be a new school.
The announcement follows the refusal of Andium’s last planning application for the former gas works, which included extending the park by 5,480 square metres, and building 122 apartments and 314 underground parking spaces. The Planning Committee turned the scheme down due to fears it might affect an underground neolithic cist – a stone-built coffin-like box – stone avenue and burial site.
Andium said that if it were to develop housing on the site, those original plans were the only commercially viable option.
The proposed extension to the park could see it stretching as far as St Saviour’s Road – an enlargement of 9,100 square metres.
An Andium Homes spokesperson said: ‘This new extended park would be for use by the public and particularly residents in the north of town, as well as providing opportunities for the creation of an extensive network of safe and accessible “greenways” linking the schools located along St Saviour’s Road with the pedestrian network in town.
‘All of this forms part of a wholesale regeneration of the north of town… and will ensure that the growing community in this part of town has access to good-quality amenity space.
‘Of course, we do understand the pressure on public services, and government subsequently indicated that it wanted to consider the site for alternative uses. Until such time as those decisions are made the site is held in abeyance.’
St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft, who has long been a champion of protecting and creating open green spaces in the parish, has said he could lodge a proposition to force the government to extend the park.
‘I shared Andium’s vision with senior ministers last year at a meeting and made it absolutely clear that this is a tremendous opportunity for the Island to increase the size of the park and should be grabbed by both hands and I was extremely excited by the vision,’ he said.
‘There were going to be 300 units in the park – it was going to be rammed with flats and then Andium came along and reduced it dramatically. There was a change at the top level of Andium to someone who has an awareness that so many units of accommodation were going into St Helier and they should just make the park bigger. It is a wonderful opportunity and it will never come around again.’
Mr Crowcroft added that he thought the main potential alternative use for the former Jersey Gas site was a new primary school.
He said that although he understood the need for a new school, it should be built on another site.
Deputy Rob Ward has also lodged an amendment to the Draft Bridging Island Plan, which is due to be debated later this year, calling for the site to be earmarked for a new town primary school. Deputy Ward has said the site would be the ‘perfect location’ for a primary school serving the north of the town, and an opportunity to further extend the park.
Referring to the hundreds of homes being built in the north of town, Mr Crowcroft said it was essential that their residents had open spaces to use.
‘[The Millennium Town Park] is heavily used at all times of the year but particularly during the warmer weather when you can hardly find somewhere to sit down. They are planning to dramatically increase the loading of town in terms of taking the majority of the Island’s accommodation but there needs to be playgrounds and parks in town.’
He added: ‘I am talking to the Greffe about the best way of achieving this [extending the park].’
