Height of proposed Waterfront buildings to come down after consultation

Friday 16 July 2021

The height of buildings earmarked for the Waterfront will be reduced in response to public feedback, the Jersey Development Company has said.

There are now plans to lower buildings on two of the key sites to no more than eight storeys, and the height of the 'town gateway' building from 16 to 12 storeys.

Islanders are now being asked to take part in a final consultation before JDC submits a planning application in the autumn.

Current plans include an outdoor lido, a new plaza with potential outdoor dining, an arthouse cinema, space for gallery features, artist studios, a new indoor swimming pool and gym, new play area space, and room for approximately 1,000 new homes.

Pictured: Les Jardins de la Mer would be one of the key areas getting an overhaul as part of the new plans.

The events where the public can engage in the consultation process are: 

• Online session via Zoom: Tuesday 20 July - 18:00 – 19:00.
• Walk and Talk Tour of the Waterfront with JDC: Thursday 22 July 13:00 – 14:00 and 18:00 – 19:00.
• 3D displays: From Thursday 22 July view the 3D displays at 4 various sites on the Waterfront
• The material will also be on display at the Town Hall (ground floor meeting room) from
  Wednesday 21 July till Friday 30 July.

The plans for the new Waterfront have drawn controversy in recent months, after the JDC said that La Frégate Café “will not be practically feasible to retain” under the new development.

Pictured: As part of current plans, a new plaza area would be developed.

In the latest round of panorama visualisations, the cafe is not featured too.

Following queries from Express as to why it was not to be included, a JDC spokesperson said it was apparently due to flooding risks.

They said they had carried out a flood risk impact assessment on the section of coastline around the West Park slip and café area as part of the Waterfront design process.

As a result, they claimed the seawall needs to be raised by 1.2m to “future-proof" the area and avoid potential flooding, with ground levels also increased by 1.2m to maintain views over the seawall.

However, the architect who helped design the cafe has pled for it to remain, calling its demolition “ridiculous” and saying it “it does not interfere with the Master Plan.” 

Panorama designs of the area can also be found on the JDC's website by CLICKING HERE.