A GROUP of Islanders hoping to secure the future of the Lido have reached the final stages of the government’s process to decide who will manage the Havre des Pas site from the start of next year.
The “Love our Lido” organisation was formed last year with the goal of gaining charitable status and taking over management of the bathing pool.
St Helier Deputy David Warr and Matt Falla, who was among the Islanders who put themselves forward to serve as governors of the proposed charity, confirmed that the group had been selected as the “preferred bidder” for the Lido.
But in a statement issued yesterday, the Infrastructure and Environment Department stressed that the process to identify a new operator for the Lido was “ongoing”.
“There are still some very important matters to work through, some of which involve confidential commercial information, and all parties have been asked to respect the process as we move into the next stage,” the statement continued.
“It is therefore regrettable that a States Member has chosen to make a public statement at this stage.”
The department also said that the tender process has been “a challenging process from the outset”, citing “the intense political focus with which it has been associated”.
“The minister and assistant minister for infrastructure have been determined to ensure an impartial process, with an independent panel overseeing the process and providing an objective assessment of the bids received,” it added.
“The government will not be commenting further until this next stage of the process has concluded, which we expect to be by the end of September.”
In response, Mr Falla explained: “It is not guaranteed and there is still a process going on.
“We are almost there. It has taken a lot longer than we would have hoped.”
Deputy Warr previously outlined his support for the Love our Lido group, stating that he wanted to ensure “that this historically significant, unique, iconic and special site thrives” by transitioning its management “from government oversight to a community-led charitable framework”.
