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The sale of the Aviemore site could still collect more than the £3 million that Government had initially asked for – if new homes on the site get planning permission.
Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham, speaking in the States Assembly yesterday, said the offer of £1.3 million plus extra payments had come in after five bids were unsuccessful.
The site, which was home to residential care but has been empty since 2021.
Kristina Moore's government pledged to sell it and use the money raised to help islanders who have been in care.
Pictured: The Aviemore site has stood empty for several years. (Quérée Property Consultants)
The States of Jersey Development Company said they planned to build housing on the site, overlooking Grouville Bay, but that they wouldn't release further details before the 15-day cooling-off period is over.
This means that politicians won't be able to oppose the sale anymore, and it can go ahead.
SOJDC will still need to get planning permission for the development, after which a formula is expected to set out what the total amount will be. This formula has not been made public.
Speaking in the States Assembly yesterday, Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham said the site had been put up for tender but of five bids, none were good enough.
SOJDC then came in with an offer of £1.3 million, with further payments if they get planning approval.
These further payments could, Deputy Farnham claimed, bring the total amount up to over £3 million.
Asked whether the site – situated immediately next to Haut de la Garenne – was appropriate for a housing development, Deputy Farnham said that providing homes was a key government policy and the money was going to a fun for care-experienced islanders.
Pictured: The Aviemore site. (Quérée Property Consultants)
Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan said in a statement: “The sale of Aviemore to the Jersey Development Company represents a strategic step forward, with a completion payment of £1,300,000 alongside an agreed overage arrangement payment.
"This additional payment, based on a formula, will be paid within 14 days of Planning Consent being granted.
"Crucially, this uplift is not reliant on works being completed or properties being sold, providing a guaranteed and timely return.
"The full value of the revenue generated from this sale will be allocated to the Endowment Fund for Care-Experienced Islanders, ensuring that this decision delivers meaningful and lasting support for our community.”
Aviemore has stood empty since a phased closure that started in 2021, after it was linked to an allegation of child abuse.
It came after the the Jersey Care Inquiry heard in 2017 that staff had assaulted young islanders with disabilities.
An independent review that same year found that staff care more for their own safety than for residents' needs.
In 2019, Express found out that Aviemore had received three orders by the Health and Safety Inspectorate relating to a substantial lack of written policy or procedure in protecting employees from "violent or aggressive incidents" from clients.
The 2021 Government Plan acknowledged that the facility itself was a barrier against providing “appropriate and safe care, as well as providing a safe working environment for the staff.”
John Le Fondré's government said that the five-unit building "cannot be fully occupied", which meant that individuals had to live in private-sector accommodation.
Plan to sell Aviemore site to Jersey Development Company for £1.3m
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