CONNECTING the Channel Islands with sub-sea tunnels could lower the cost of running Jersey’s public sector, according to business leader Kevin Keen.
But he warned that Brexit could complicate potential plans to build a fixed link to France.
Mr Keen, who has long been an advocate for a link between France and the islands, spoke to the JEP after attending this week’s Chamber of Commerce event during which the idea of under-sea tunnels was discussed.
Experts said that connecting Jersey to France could help to address a number of issues, including housing and recruitment problems.
Mr Keen said: “The government is doing the right thing by trying to evaluate whether you could build it and what it would cost, as well as the impact on the Island.”
He added that talks from Scandinavian experts had given the attendees “confidence that it was being carefully and thoughtfully considered”.
On the benefits, Mr Keen said: “One major opportunity would be around housing, because if we could have people commuting in from France to work in some of our industries, then we wouldn’t have to find places for them to live, which would be of benefit to the whole Island.
“In addition, the cost of the public sector on both Jersey and Guernsey could be reduced, as links present more opportunities for our governments to work together on health and education. And when we talk about building a hospital, there are great hospitals and a great healthcare service in Normandy that would be more accessible.
“It could also be a benefit to tourism, if we were able to join up with Guernsey and co-operate with them more. Then there’s empty supermarket shelves and travel disruption, which this would also impact.”
Other positive impacts, he continued, could include making it easier for exporters to transfer their products to France and other islands.
“It can be done, it should be done, but we need to not get carried away and instead look at it coldly and calmly.”
“Brexit makes it a bit more complicated,” he added, but said that the existing Channel Tunnel between the UK and France had “set a precedent”.
“And Jersey wouldn’t be an island anymore, we have to consider.”
At the event, Deputy Montfort Tadier asked about changes to the relationship between Jersey and France, given Islanders did not have automatic rights to live and work in Europe since Brexit.
Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel said the matter was “quite solvable” and the link would certainly lead to “greater fluidity”.
