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St. Helier's Constable is pushing for all work on the major redevelopment of the Waterfront to be halted until politicians have approved a 'Masterplan' for the future of town.
Constable Simon Crowcroft is also requesting that walking, cycling, bus and parking strategies are finalised, and that a political working group is established to bring forward a Town Masterplan for debate by the States Assembly by July 2024.
Pictured: Constable Simon Crowcroft is calling for work on the Waterfront development to be paused.
Jersey Development Company’s ambitious 10-year plans for the Waterfront development were revealed in 2021, and include a leisure centre, a new slipway, almost 1,000 new homes, a boardwalk pier, new public gardens and open spaces, an ‘arthouse cinema’, and two new swimming pools.
The proposals also earmaredk space for GP practices, a dental practice, a nursery, restaurants, bars, and shops.
Pictured: The planning application for the Waterfront has attracted numerous public comments.
However, some critics have raised concerns that only around 15% of the accommodation in the proposed Southwest St. Helier development will be ‘affordable’ housing.
There have also been complaints about the lack of family-sized homes in the proposals, with 80% of the planned housing units having just one or two bedrooms.
In his proposition calling for a pause on development, Constable Crowcroft describes a "worrying lack of commitment to urban planning and regeneration", adding that the absence of a Town Masterplan has "already exacted a heavy toll on our capital as ad hoc private developments have failed to balance the need for profit with the needs of residents as well as other users of Town".
Pictured: An illustrative view of the proposed "arthouse cinema".
He added: "The Government’s perceived lack of empathy and understanding of the current pressures of town living, combined with a lack of effective engagement with urban residents, is likely to create further disparities and divisions in our community between those who live in town and those who live in the country.
"We are in danger of creating a community where 'townies' are expected to tolerate relentless development and its deleterious impacts on their quality of life, without an overall agreed plan, without proper and effective consideration of amenities and green spaces for town living, and without having a voice."
The earliest date that Constable Crowcroft's proposition could be debated in the States Assembly is 21 March 2023.
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