Gov makes £6.5m bid for St. Helier land

Friday 03 December 2021

The Government has offered the Parish of St. Helier £6.5m and a land swap to get the land it needs to construct the highway to the new hospital.

The deal was put to the Procureurs du Bien Public – those responsible for taking care of Parish money – earlier this week.

It came after Constable Simon Crowcroft officially refused to give the Parish's endorsement to the planning application for the new hospital - despite being one of the main landowners - leaving the Environment Minister to decide whether it's in the public interest to accept it anyway.

Aside from the Parish and Government, officials confirmed to Express this week that there are three other key landowners involved - all individuals living in the parish - who equally declined to give their support. 

As well as £6.5m, the Government's offer to St. Helier includes a “land swap” for the land currently occupied by Jersey Bowling Club – which is owned by the Parish – for “land and equivalent facilities” at Warwick Farm, where Jersey Hemp is based, as well as: 

• some re-provision of lost parking facilities;
• relocation of recreational facilities;
• and relocation and re-provision of trees.

However, it will only go ahead if planning permission for the £800m Overdale ‘health campus’ is received.

Procureurs Peter Pearce and Geraint Jennings said they felt the deal to be “good value” for parishioners, and potentially more than they might receive through compulsory purchase.

Pictured: The Jersey Bowling Club's proposed new home.

However, it will be for parishioners to make the final call in a Parish Assembly vote at 19:00 on 15 December in the Town Hall.

The Procureurs said they were aware parishioners had previously decided there should be no sale until more information is provided about the proposed redesign and expansion of Westmount Road, but noted that a planning application was now live and that the Government had agreed to present its plans in public at a Roads Committee meeting next Wednesday, having initially resisted.

“As Procureurs we take an oath to take care of the Parish’s finances as we would our own, if not better.  This is always paramount in our minds when considering matters such as this,” Mr Pearce said. 

“We are conscious that the States Assembly has approved compulsory purchase as an option where a negotiated agreement cannot be reached.  We have taken independent advice and we concluded that this is a reasonable offer, which under the circumstances represents value to parishioners, so we believe it important that the Parish Assembly has an opportunity to consider this offer at this time.”

Pictured: A Parish Assembly meeting will be held to decide if the deal should go ahead in just under two weeks' time.

Mr Jennings added: “It is particularly important to note that if this offer if accepted, it is done so on the condition that the land sale will only take place if and when planning permission is received.”

Parishioners wishing to attend either the Roads Committee at 09:30 on 8 December or the Parish Assembly on 15 December should contact Alison Roberts, Parish Secretary by emailing alison.roberts@sthelier.je in advance.

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