Plémont deal approved

Wednesday 02 July 2014

The States have agreed to spend £3.6 million to secure the future of the Plémont headland.

Members voted by 35 to 11 to approve a proposition to hand over the money to the National Trust for Jersey to buy the site, including the derelict holiday camp, and return it all to nature.

The margin was far wider than the single vote loss of a proposition 18 months ago that had campaigners fearing that luxury homes would be built on the site.

Senator Philip Bailhache, who brought the proposition back to the States, said that Members had to consider the legacy that they would leave the Island.

Echoing the words of Housing Minister Andrew Green, Senator Bailhache said: “This debate is indeed at its heart about courage and vision but most of all it is a debate about vision. Do we have the vision to think long term, to consider our legacy as the Chief Minister aptly put it, to future generations?

“I think that the Assembly will show that it has the courage to take a difficult decision and the vision to know that it is the right one for the people of the Island.”

The National Trust for Jersey had reached a deal with the landowner, UK millionaire Trevor Hemmings, to buy the site for £7.15 million. They say that they can pay half of the sum, but needed the States to stump up the other half.

There was opposition in the States from some who felt that there were better things to spend the money on – including Environment Minister Rob Duhamel, who said that much more land could be built to create open, natural spaces around St Helier for the cost of buying Plémont.