The news of the plan, however, comes after yet another delay to the project.
Assistant Infrastructure Minister Hugh Raymond, who was recently appointed to a steering-group board aimed at regenerating the complex, acknowledged that demolition should have begun in January this year.
The former Infrastructure Department – now Growth, Housing and Environment – had originally hoped to retain the ‘pool slab’ and basement structure.
However, according to a revised planning application, after the work went out to tender, it became clear that the cost of doing this would be ‘substantial’.
A revised application to remove all traces of the structure from Glacis Field is being assessed by the Planning Department, and companies are due to be invited to tender for the work shortly.
Deputy Raymond said the original application might have been rushed through.
‘As I speak, the final dates for the tender are about to come in and I shall be able to report back soon,’ he said. ‘We always wanted to clear the site at the first opportunity but the first tender was not to clear the whole site. I think it was done in haste and they just wanted to get it sorted but if we are going to do the job, we might as well do it properly.
‘But I will be sad to see it go; it used to be very much part of a day out. I would take my kids swimming there and then go up into the café afterwards, just like a lot of people did.’#
In August 2017, it was reported that £3.5 million had been budgeted for the pool’s demolition.
Although he was not able to provide a figure, Deputy Raymond said he thought the cost of bringing the swimming pool down had risen since the original planning application was submitted.
However, he added that he was optimistic that plans would be revealed imminently to redevelop the entire facility.
‘I think the cost of taking the pool down and returning it to nature is going to be higher now,’ he said.
‘Personally, I do not want to lose it [Fort Regent]. I think it is an icon and it is very much part of St Helier and part of Jersey.
‘But with any plan, we have got to know what the cost and the income will be and then that will give us a realistic idea of what we can do.
‘I have been quite positive about this. The big thing with the Fort is that we still have the [new] Hospital hanging over us but this has gone on long enough and I think we have to do something now – we are at a crossroads.’
