Store bid by French ‘would be welcome’

Monday 24th April 2006, 12:00AM BST.

PROPOSALS for a new French supermarket in the Island and a new freight link are expected by September.

The idea, first floated more than a year ago, is back on the agenda after Chief Minister Frank Walker led a delegation to Normandy at the weekend.

He says that firm proposals for a supermarket served by a daily freight service from France will be made by September, but added that the potential operators still needed to find a site and ‘jump through a few hoops’ involved in setting up a business in Jersey.

It has been suggested that a supermarket selling French goods could cut Island shopping bills by a quarter.

The Jersey delegation also held talks with ferry operators Manches Ile Express, who run ferries to Granville and Carteret.

They recently announced plans to step up their summer timetable, and plan to carry 120,000 passengers this year compared with 100,000 last year.

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