JERSEY could become a World Heritage Site because of the significance of its historical fortifications.

But it must work with the other Channel Islands for a bid to have any chance of success. A report published this week by the Education, Sport and Culture department says that the fortifications of the Channel Islands have the potential to be recognised as such a site.

Education, Sport and Culture will now consider the recommendations to establish if there is shared interest across the Channel Islands and to assess the practicalities involved in developing a bid.

The report will be a welcome boost for Jersey Heritage, which is celebrating taking more than £1 million in gate receipts from its attractions this year. It is hoped that World Heritage status would increase visitor numbers and raise much-needed revenue.

Heritage expert Kate Clark, the author of the report, said that a bid featuring key sites in Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney could be successful if the Channel Islands worked together to capitalise on more than 800 years of military history.

• Jersey Heritage chairman Clive Jones is the subject of the Saturday Interview in today’s Jersey Eveing Post.

• Picture: Mont Orgueil is a landmark historical site in Jersey and would be a key consideration in the granting of World Heritage Site status