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An Express reader and former UK councillor has responded to the news that a developer will build and own the Government’s new headquarters on the site of its old home at Cyril Le Marquand House.
Edward Trevor had this to say ...
"It would be appropriate for the Government of Jersey to build and hold its own offices provided the cost is controlled and the building properly planned for the future.
I was a member of the London Borough of Sutton when a similar debate took place and we built Civic Offices, a library and FE College. That was 40 to 50 years ago and it proved extremely sensible from an economic viewpoint. With the deflation of money, it now seems very cheap.
To knock down Cyril le Marquand House doesn’t seem to me to be the right way forward. It is on a busy road with traffic jams during much of the working day and won’t be available for disabled people as any spaces reserved would almost certainly be taken by those not using the offices and those using other people’s badges.
To ask a commercial company to build and let, even with an option to purchase, is wasting the taxpayers’ money as the ‘landlord’ will expect to make a profit of 20 to 30% on costs which the GoJ would keep for the benefit of the public if they were to do the work themselves.
A sensible idea would be to build on the International Finance Centre, where an open plan building could be erected and most of the GoJ staff housed.
With the proposals for car parking in the area, the problem for blue badge holders wouldn’t exist and there wouldn’t be delays due to traffic problems. The GoJ owns the land and it must be in the books at the cost of acquisition less write off.
There is not the cost of demolition as there would be at Cyril Le Marquand House. The services needed at a rebuilt Cyril Le Marquand House are already in the IFC and that would mean less disruption and probably cost.
Scrutiny should look very carefully at the building costs, the contingencies, the proposed rent and the proposed acquisition price noting the probable profit to the developers.
All the above are probably deemed to be commercial in confidence but Scrutiny should be given the figures in order to make a sensible decision even if they aren’t available to the public at large.
I have spoken to other chartered surveyors and none of them can understand the proposals which they consider to be wasteful."
