As part of their Inspiring Active Places strategy – released with the aim of providing a network of athletic facilities across Jersey – officials have unveiled a new vision for the St Clement site, including proposals to make it a community centre serving the east of the Island, accommodating various sport facilities and health outreach provisions.
The new facility, which could be built alongside renovation of the school’s existing PE building, will include a purpose built gymnastics facility, an eight-court sports hall and a full-sized 3G pitch.
A swimming pool is also being considered, taking the total number of sports potentially set to benefit to 17.
‘We are very central and west focused in our public sport provision,’ said Andrew Scate, director general for the Infrastructure Department. ‘We have identified a lack of facilities serving the east of the Island and this proposal looks at how we can rectify that.’
The strategy is also driven by the need to invest in alternative facilities for sports currently accommodated at Fort Regent.
‘It is long overdue to create hubs for gymnastics across the Island,’ said Jersey Sport chief executive Catriona McAllister, who was recruited by the government to lead the project. ‘We have some phenomenal clubs set up but they are all working out of non-purpose built facilities. We also need to replace squash courts, which will be lost at Fort Regent.’
The high-performance facility at Le Rocquier will be complemented by a recreational gymnastics facility at Les Quennevais, with plans to also convert the four-court sports hall at Oakfield into a permanent gymnastics site.
‘Sport in Jersey has always been vibrant,’ said Deputy Hugh Raymond, who has political responsibility for sport. ‘It has been exciting and highly valued by Islanders. But over the last year, the Covid-19 pandemic has raised our physical and emotional health to the very top of the agenda.
‘More than 80% of children and over half of adults in Jersey do not meet the World Health Organisation’s guidelines for physical activity. In order for us to achieve our goal, it is essential to provide affordable facilities that meet the needs of Islanders and our sporting clubs and associations.’
