A PLANNING application for the redevelopment of Fort Regent will be submitted this summer – as long as the new government is supportive of the project.
In sharing more details about how the proposed £110 million scheme could look, departing Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan said he felt the project was at an appropriate stage to hand over to his successor.
Mr Jehan acknowledged that there had been some slight delays to the timeline announced when the project was first unveiled in April 2025, but said this resulted from some significant changes which had been introduced following extensive consultations.
The main arena, designed to have a capacity of up to 2,500 for rock concerts or DJ performances, or 1,100 spectators for sports such as basketball or netball, has been swapped with a six-screen cinema in order to achieve a better flow of people at the site. The arena will now be sited at first-floor level, with a ground-floor “boulevard” beneath it to link the northern and southern parts of the site.
“Clearly we’d like to be further progressed,” Mr Jehan said. “But I think it’s worth noting that the level of work that’s taken place and the kind of dialogue we’ve had with the community and I think we’ve ended up with a better result.
“I don’t think it would be appropriate for this government, as it as it leaves office, to put a planning application in, because if the next government don’t support this vision, we’d have wasted a lot of time and energy.
“But I certainly hope they are supportive and that it can be progressed as it’s vital to have somewhere for both locals and visitors alike.”
JDC chief executive Lee Henry said that he hoped a planning application would be submitted in July and that by September, agreements would be signed with “anchor” tenants for the arena, the adjoining six-screen cinema and the bowling alley.
Mr Henry said work to remove asbestos and refurbish the Fort’s grade II-listed roof could begin in October, and that in December politicians would back funding proposals for the next stage.
Initial public funding of £43m was agreed by the States Assembly last December, and Mr Jehan said the overall Budget for the project remained at £110m.
The businesses taking up the tenancies would also contribute their own investment, he added, with sustainability remaining a core principle for the Fort’s future operation.
Other elements of the project include:
- Access: although there were initial considerations to re-establish the Fort’s cable-car link, high-speed lifts from Pier Road have been incorporated into the scheme, with a bridge link to the main entrance. The existing entrance area is to be removed, with the original archway serving as the main access point, while there are also plans to improve access from Pier road car park.
- Cinema: Mr Henry said that after discussions with three potential partners, the scale of the cinema had been adjusted to a total of 560 seats, with two small screens housing 40 people each and four larger “boxed” spaces. This would ensure this part of the project was “right-sized” and be sustainable, he added.
- Piazza: A flexible space adjoining the entrance which would house events including the winter ice-rink, roller-skating, exhibitions and “fan-zone” screenings of major sports events.
- The outside area known as the “East Ditch” is set to be transformed into a multi-functional activity hub, including a 3×3 basketball court, climbing structures, slides, a parkour zone, and a pump track designed for BMX and mountain biking. A sensory park at the north end of the site will cater primarily to younger visitors.
Mr Henry said the intention was that all the activities in the outside area would be free-of-charge. Admission to the interior would also be free, he added, with charges for most of the activities inside.
It is still hoped that a hotel may form part of the scheme, but Mr Jehan said it was acknowledged that this element was likely to face the most significant planning challenges and was a separate component
Mr Henry added: “When this [overall scheme] is approved, both from in planning and from a funding viewpoint, the viability on that hotel then is all the easier – the more guarantees and confidence we can give on the delivery of this huge footfall generator, the easier and the more attractive the hotel site proposition will be.”
