Heritage groups lose battle of the cottage

Tuesday 27th October 2009, 2:58PM GMT.

An artist’s impression of what the development will look like, with the bowls hall in position behind St Juste and elevation treatment to provide a ‘garden wall’ effect and backdrop Picture: PWP ARCHITECTS

PLANS to partly demolish a 200-year-old listed building have been approved by Environment Minister Freddie Cohen.

The owners of the Merton Hotel received permission to knock down part of St Juste, one of only four examples of the cottage ornée style left in the Island, to make way for an indoor bowls hall.

The National Trust for Jersey, Save Jersey’s Heritage and the environment section of the Société Jersiaise had previously put pressure on the minister to save the building of local interest.

They said that demolishing three of the external support walls to the east elevation would damage the character and integrity of the building and result in ‘an unnecessary and unjustified loss of historic fabric’.

At a ministerial meeting on Friday, Senator Cohen approved – subject to conditions – the application for St Juste and plans to refurbish La Fantasie, a site of special interest, into six staff flats.

A planning officer had recommended approval of the plans, saying that ‘the gains of the two historic buildings would be greater than the losses, if permission was granted’.

1
Mess of potage

October 27, 2009 at 3:20 pm

Is it not a little ironic that one of the best quotes of St.Juste (a Jacobean revolutionary) was

‘The present order is the disorder of the future’

and this phrase was made famous by the famous landscape artist/architect Ian Hamilton Finlay

Barbarians at the gates!

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2
DottieH

October 27, 2009 at 4:36 pm

Dreadful!
Is there anything that FC does not approve?

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3
Mogit

October 27, 2009 at 4:42 pm

As i’ve said before, why are the environment and planning minister one and the same person, greed and money will always win out!!!

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4
david brown

October 27, 2009 at 5:27 pm

mess of potage(1) i like your comment.

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5
John

October 27, 2009 at 6:03 pm

Money talks

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6
Mess of potage

October 27, 2009 at 7:39 pm

Thanks david brown the image talks!

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Little_Sparta_-_The_present_order_is_the_disorder_of_the_future_(St_Just).jpg

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7
parry gashley

October 27, 2009 at 8:40 pm

So here we go again, one man’s decision… Yet again this underlines the ridiculous situation we find ourselves in where such power is wielded by somebody who hasn’t a clue; or does he?

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8
Mike

October 28, 2009 at 11:44 am

Just to be controversial I would suggest that the role of the Planning and Environment Minister is not simply to say “No” as you all seem to think….as a member of our government he also has to think about the future of the island and our economic development and perhaps he is considering that the Merton Hotel is a pretty important player in our troubled tourism industry – this may just help to keep them competitive and attractive.

This is definitely not the same as knocking something down to build flats!

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9
Paul

October 28, 2009 at 11:55 am

While there is a general issue about ultimate power being in hands of one Minister you all should be congratulating Freddie Cohen on this decision.

The JEP healine was misleading and unfotunate, it would have been accurate had it said Listed buildings will be saved. Read the full story – La Fantasie will be refurbished and St Juste reverted to original thatch roof – at some significant cost to Seymours. They get the bowls faciliy needed for Merton. Surely this can only be seen as good news all round?

Listed buildings cannot be preserved in stone forever. Freddie Cohen does care about their future and his decision in this case was the best for some time..

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