New States chief to resurrect 'Whitehall' plans

Wednesday 01 November 2017

It's emerged that some States departments have been blocking plans to bring them all together in one central location in a bid to improve communication and reduce running costs.

Currently, States departments are spread over 23 sites and it was planned to move them to a single place. But the Chief Minister suggested in the States this week that the idea had got bogged down when funding couldn't be agreed, and in the face of opposition from some departments. He promised the new States Chief Executive Officer, Charlie Parker, would get it back on track.

Senator Ian Gorst was responding to a question from Deputy Graham Truscott: 

"Currently Chief Minister, our organisation is spread around the island, we have got South Hill, we have got Planning, we have got Howard Davis Farm for Environment, Education at Highlands, Social Security at La Motte Street and government at Cyril Le Marquand House. There were plans to actually start to centralise and to become more efficient through centralisation. Now we have a new Chief Executive Officer in place is it something he is going to consider to bring forward?"

The Chief Minister stated that previous plans to create a centralised building, dubbed Jersey's Whitehall, had been "well advanced."

However, he said the difficulty was in "agreeing a source of funding," and that Mr Parker could bring it back to the forefront as he is "very keen" on the idea. Mr Parker has started worked on an interim basis, ahead of taking up his post formally in January. 

Pictured: Not all departments are favourable to the idea of a central States building.

Senator Gorst however warned that the States might have to get creative to find "a suitable place that will bring them together," if the work takes too long. Locationsthat were considered previously were La Motte Street or Cyril le Marquand House, which would have to be extended.

While no decision has been made so far, the Chief Minister said that some States Departments were dragging their feet at the idea of moving into a centralised building.

"That will not find favour in all departments. Already some departments in the proposed scheme said they did not want to move to a central office block. That's not acceptable. If we are really going to change the way we deliver our services, one silo department or Minister saying 'Well I'm not going to move' is the wrong approach and it is the approach of yesterday, and the approach of the past. There is a better way and we must all strive to deliver it."