A BID to halt the sale of the former Social Security building in St Helier to a housing developer has been heavily defeated.
Deputy David Warr made his move after Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan confirmed a decision to sell Philip Le Feuvre House in La Motte Street, and the adjacent office block Huguenot House for £2,315,000. The two buildings had initially been marketed for £3 million.
The States Assembly debated the proposition by Deputy Warr, which called for a feasibility study and investigation of alternative uses of the site, possibly including open space or parking, to be carried out before any sale is authorised.
Ministers were accused of encouraging “town-cramming” in St Helier by Deputy Warr.
“This ‘flog and forget’ approach to publicly-owned, strategically-located assets is unacceptable – once it’s gone, it’s gone,” he said, adding that the sale was a betrayal of the values of the politician after whom it was named. Senator Philip Le Feuvre had been “one of the great visionary politicians”, he added.
Mr Jehan said the proposition offered “a choice between delay and delivery”, saying Deputy Warr over “the lack of a thought-through alternative”.
The minister acknowledged that the government had regularly been criticised over the time taken to dispose of empty buildings, but that now a further delay was threatened.
Education Minister Rob Ward described Deputy Warr’s proposition as “a political vanity project”, urging the Assembly to reject it and focus on pressing ahead with urgent infrastructure projects such as the new school on the Gas Place site, as well as youth facilities and parks.
Deputy Alex Curtis said he was concerned that the developer may engage in “landbanking” – delaying the construction of new housing – and that there was no guarantee that affordable housing would form part of the project.
Members voted by 33-9 to reject the proposition.
