From Deputy Sean Power.
THIS project by the Oyster Box, a part of Jersey Potteries, to acquire the shelter in St Brelade’s Bay, has caused some concern to parishioners in St Brelade and indeed to people from other parishes who visit the bay. Your article on 10 March quotes Robert Jones as saying that I had brought this up ‘so late in the day’. I have to disagree again with Mr Jones and indeed correct him.

The application first appeared on the Planning Department list on 7 October 2008. When I saw the listing and the site notice, I made my concerns known to my colleague Deputy Le Fondré of St Lawrence who has responsibility at Property Holdings, part of Treasury for transacting States-owned property. I asked to be kept informed as I had been contacted by people who had seen the site notice and had expressed concern about the project to acquire this shelter.

Your readers will recall then, the elections for Senator, Constable and Deputy during October and November last year. I had heard nothing from either party. The application was approved by the Planning Minister on 21 November 2008. Christmas came and went. When I became aware of the possible transaction between Property Holdings and the Oyster Box last month, I became angry as I had not been kept informed.

Quite apart from the project to acquire the shelter, the trading operations of the Oyster Box had caused some concern in the area last year and these included:
- The original planning permit to put the rubbish where it is, is an issue as that piece of property seems to be part owned by another business. The Oyster Box seem to have thought that the public (Property Holdings) were the owners of some of this area and that area above the toilets. The Planning Minister issued a consent but it now seems that the Oyster Box may not have had a right to use it and this approval seems to be on a misunderstanding.
- The fencing around the existing bin area seemed to be higher than the permitted 4 ft.
- That bin storage area in its current form has caused nuisance to the neighbours on the opposite side of the road and restricted their view of the bay. The extraction system has also been an issue.
- To sort these problems out, the Oyster Box then decided to try and buy this shelter area from the public (Property Holdings) and move their bins there as well as a bin wash area and a dry goods store. The shelter is used as a cooling off area in the summer and it is used in the winter by beach users. It affords pleasant views over the gardens.
- Commercial deliveries to the Oyster Box in the 2008 season have caused problems to the area by allowing suppliers’ vans to reverse down the pedestrian walkway and block this area.
- Maison des Landes Hotel use this area to unload wheelchair visitors in the summer who wish to go to the bay.
- The beach concessionaires use the lower void area on the promenade in the summer to stack beach equipment on spring tides. This happens twice a month for up to three days at a time during the busy season.
I have had phone calls, e-mails and letters on this whole subject including complaints about vehicles belonging to Oyster Box clients blocking the bus-stop and adjacent areas.

My view was and is that the sale of the shelter to the Oyster Box was a non-starter and a thoroughly bad idea and I would advise Mr Jones to respect the users of the bay and the existing traders and beach concessionaires.

I am happy to assist Mr Jones and the Oyster Box to find a home for their rubbish and I am working with Property Holdings and Transport and Technical Services to accommodate a rubbish pound in the adjacent park.

I hope this clarifies the sequence of events.
La Ferme du Sud,
Rue de la Corbière,
St Brelade.