Education to bring new designs for Les Quennevais

Thursday 23 February 2017

Jersey's Education Chief Officer admits Planning's refusal to give the go ahead to build a new Les Quennevais school is a set back.

But Justin Donovan​​ says Education will bring new designs to planning within the next three months to ensure a school is built for students in the west Mr Donovan said: "It was disappointing it wasn't approved the first time." However, he was 'delighted' that the report confirmed the need for a new school and that the site proposed was suitable. He did not mention how much the new designs would cost.

The Minister for the Environment, Deputy Steve Luce, has refused a planning application to build a new secondary school on fields at Les Quennevais on design and traffic grounds, but has accepted the need for a new school to be built on the proposed Green Zone site.

Deputy Luce said his decision was based on careful consideration of the planning inspector’s report and recommendation and considers the current proposal to be contrary to the States approved Island Plan.

The planning application (P/2016/0870) to build a new secondary school for 850 pupils in St Brelade was considered fully in a Public Inquiry in January. An independent planning inspector, Graham Self, presided over the public inquiry. In his report, Mr Self said there was a need for a new school, and that possible alternative sites had been ‘suitably investigated and there were good reasons for ‘making an exception to the normal presumption against building in the Green Zone’.

However, Mr Self said he had ‘considerable reservations’ about the site layout and safety of traffic and parking arrangements, and concluded that ‘the design of the proposed building would not be satisfactory. In particular, the building shapes, finishing material and colours... would not reflect or complement the style and traditions of local buildings...’ He also said that both these issues conflicted with policies in the Island Plan.

Deputy Luce said “I am grateful to Mr Self for holding this inquiry and for his excellent report. The case for a new school in the chosen Green Zone site has been well made and is accepted, so it’s now a question of working on the design of the building and overcoming the traffic safety and parking concerns. The new school will have a significant impact on those using the building and those living near it, and we must get this right. I believe Environment, Education and Infrastructure can now work together to provide a new school for the west of the Island within Education’s hoped-for timescale.”