Minister passes plan for Waterfront flats
Friday 19th February 2010, 2:59PM GMT.
The decision was announced at a meeting this morning. Picture: ROB CURRIE (00894283)
PLANS to build five blocks of flats near the Radisson hotel on the Waterfront have been approved by the Environment Minister.
Senator Freddie Cohen announced his decision at a planning panel public meeting this morning. It means that the development of 59 flats – in four six-storey blocks and one four-story block – can now go ahead.
The Zephyrus scheme, designed by Hopkins Architects, will be built next to the already approved development of luxury apartments named Westwater, which when built will sit next to the hotel.
WEB has said that Zephyrus would cost about £25 million to build and that the flats would vary in size from 525 sq ft up to 3,150 sq ft. The scheme will provide a total of 127 bedrooms.
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More flats for the waterfront,the power to sanction four six storey blocks lies in the hands of one man,never was and never will be a good idea.
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I don’t know why they even bother having a planning panel, it seems that anything gets passed regardless of the impact on the environment or the visual impact on the Island. Will there ever be a cut off point or is the current minister intent on having every inch of the island covered in concrete????
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Here we go again ask the local people of Southampton what they think about their harbour development we are making same mistakes locals are losing interest in what goes on down the waterfront because it is not about them, is it all about profit? will these be able to be bought of plan before being built and sold on for a profit? The States have got to look a lot harder at the social implications for the local population before making their decisions
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What the hell is going on with our priorities
We cannot even house our homeless
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It’s an outrage… The flats may look good in the end but that’s not the point. How can the Environment Minister also be the Planning Minister? Something needs to be done to rectify this conflict of interest. Nowhere else in the world can you find one man in charge of both! Simply put there’s a lack of objectivity and it’s a conflict of interest!
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I am unable to say what I would like to say on this matter as the comment would not get printed but I think it is obvious to anyone with a brain why these developments keep on getting planning permission.They are certainly not attractive,not wanted by the majority of islanders and will simply add to the extremely ugly place that is the Jersey Waterfront.
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Oh if only these plans were of neo-classical design with a grand portico or even a baroque aesthetic, we would all be happy then. Not all this horrible modern stuff, yuck. Maybe we should restrict building on this island of 100,000 people to two story granite dwellings whilst maintaining all our beautiful countryside. I’m sure we can have our cake and eat it.
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Proof as if any were needed that ministerial Govt is a Folie de Grandeur a totally failed mission…..excessive power for one individual is bad for us all,the old committee system had checks and balances and whilst a tad slower bad mistakes made quickly by one are evident here…..Freddy should go and this whole Govt be reformed..this megalomania must be stopped .Le main last week now this..it’s broken and will not work,the whole point of any Govt is for the betterment of everyone,as soon as it stops being it becomes the enemy of the people and sees the people as the enemy of the state,hence they wnat Tazers and even more liberty crushing laws all the time.OUT out out.
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> The Zephyrus scheme, designed by Hopkins Architects < Ahh yes, Think Twice, buy local!
I bet these UK companies are thankful for Jersey to keep the going through the tough times in the UK construction industry.
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No politician cares for Jersey anymore. Its all about making money ££££££££££ FUBAR!! All these flats will be aimed at foreigners and tax dogers.
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We all know The States have delusions of grandeur and would like Jersey to be another Monaco, get real it ain’t gonna appen !!!
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Well i suppose we have to have somewhere to house all the new finance staff that we are importing !!!
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It is a shame to see Jersey building blocks of flats next to the horrible radisson,plus a waste burning plant near the harbour.Guernsey looks far nicer on first viewing for visitors to the island.Yet if you want to put up a sattelite dish in your back yard you can be refused planning permission.
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Anti Moan (7) I agree completely.
Fubar (10) Maybe most politicians only care about money but there are some specially of the youngest 3 who do seem to care about the island with the odd scattering of older ones as well.
The problem is that whilst the population keeps rising more and more housing is obviously needed. Each person they let in helps damage the beauty of the island. In our town library some books can be found at the top of the stairs to the second level that show what Jersey used to be like. All the states members should have to look through these and hopefully would then start feeling guilty at the way they are wrecking Jersey.
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Everyone seems to complain about the lack of houseing. This s 2010 -Get real.
If you don’t want accommodation built in the country, then this is a great idea.
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Read my lips the island doesn’t want and doesn’t need flats. Who will buy these flats? I can’t see many local people wanting these. Luckily for the developer I think they will probably be bought as investments by outsiders hoping to cash in and make a quick buck.
Anti-Moan at least these granite builds, besides looking good, will actually provide a home someone can leave to their children and grand children. How long before these need knocking down? My money is on less than 50 years. If this is the case then the mortgage should just about be paid off in time….
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Lets just hope they have people to buy these rabbit hutch boxes in the sky!!!!!
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Hahaha, there’s a shock.
99,000 people against this and Freddie and no doubt (Dandara) in favour of it!
Another absolute disgrace!!!!!!!
Why not build 127 flats which no locals can afford, genius!
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Instead of building these flats,shouldn’t they be building proper housing for locals at a reasonably price made to last?
Nicky park,elysia only lasted 30 years before being knocked down and rebuilt.
Next on the list is convent court i believe.
What about Ann street all boarded up?
The money they have wasted building these sub-standard accommodation is criminal.
They don,t care and never have for the locals all they are concerned about is where they can make the next fast buck from
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Absolutely no surprise about this decision by the all-powerful Cohen! What we as Islanders think about Dandara or large developments is totally irrelevant and as long as Cohen and Dandara run the Planning department we will fast see Jersey disappear under a grey slab of concrete … but at least we will get some irrelevant art as a consolation for destroying our small Island!!
This Island is going under (and not just due to the weight of concrete!) and i am both disgusted and sad … but there is nothing i can do! And that is exactly how the powers-that-be like it!
Just pay your taxes and shut up! (The Ministers’ mantra!)
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It’s all a farce! The planning process is a pointless front. It doesn’t make any difference – massive blocks of flats will go up regardless. The excuse is, it’s to house people and benefit the economy – joke.
So it seems the Jersey taxpayer spent all that time and money creating a prime land reclamation site, only for the money men to muscle their way in and take over. Let’s sedate Jersey with money and strip it of it’s dignity.
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I recently spent a week-end in Jersey after an absence of many years. Was I glad I left!
What happened to the little paradise of the 1960`s and 70`s?
St.Helier is a traffic-choked hell-hole. the waterfront indescribably ugly, virtually every square inch has been infilled. Who allowed this to happen? As for a population of 90,000 ! In my day it was 70,000 and beginning to feel a bit tight even then. Too many people in too small a space! One states member has apparently said he sees no reason why the number should not rise to 100,00!
Simply unbelievable folly. Ruined, ruined , ruined!
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To ex-resident (comment 22)That is exactly how I feel when I visit the island having been away for four years now.I don’t think you realise when you live there how cramped it is but once you have been used to some open countryside and space around you it feels very claustrophobic and a bit intimidating back in Jersey.It is so sad that things have been allowed to develop as they have but Green Bean (comment 20) has it spot on!
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Thanks Julie!
Both yourself and ‘ex resident’ sum up well why so many Islanders are leaving but unfortunately the politicians just dont care if all the Jersey people do leave as we arent the demographic they are targeting anymore … we just aint rich enough!
I try to, and want to, believe that Jersey is still a great place to live but each day i see our Island becoming a more and more stressful and expensive place to be and far too many of my friends and family have left for the exact reasons you stated … and that is very sad!
Can i be bothered to stay and fight for my Island? I want to, as i am a Bean to the end, but i just dont know if i can fight them anymore as it just wears you down.
The politicians often blame public apathy for many things but that is exactly what they cause to happen through their actions and by ignoring public wishes time and time again. In the end people do just give up fighting them as they think to themselves ‘whats the point’?!
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I so agree with Green Bean (comment 24)You are the type of person who wants to stay in Jersey but it is feeling less and less like home.Trouble is the island is run by a handful of wealthy men who would sell their own grandmother if the price was right.They live in substantial houses (no bedsit on the Waterfront for them!)and they basically use Jersey as a base and have no interest in the actual working population/Jersey born etc.I will never return to live in Jersey but I still have an interest in what happens there and it just angers me so much that they are ruining the place.
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I also have recently visited Jersey for the weekend having last visited 3 years ago. My husband and I could not believe how much St Helier has changed. Walking along the Esplande it is like looking at a concrete jungle and now more flats seems like a crazy idea to me.
Also can not believe how much traffic is now using Jersey roads.
Not sure if we will be returning as a beautiful islands is being ruined
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It is so sad that the “Powers that be” seem intent on making this lovely little island a concrete jungle. I totally agree with some of the above comments, being a bean myself this island was lovely when i was growing up and like green bean i also am getting tired of what the states are doing and there seems to be no point in fighting anymore because they just do not listen to the common man/woman. How many of the shoebox flats and offices that have been built in recent years are STILL empty..????
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Yey more empty flats. Guys this isn’t about housing its about giving people off the island a chance to get a job over here. As said before, its all about the money! The states member are just a group of halfwits who think they have the backng of the majority. Well they haven’t!
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Who is the builder going to be? Not Dandara by any chance is it? If it is why don’t they just say so?
People are getting fed up with all this over development. Jersey is getting ruined due to a lack of planning controls as far as I am concerned. It appears to be a free for all now and a race to see who can make the most money before the bubble bursts. I myself put it down to greed.
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@ Adrian #29
“Who is the builder going to be? Not Dandara by any chance is it? If it is why don’t they just say so?…”
The applicant is WEB, maybe they haven’t chosen a builder yet.
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Cohen…worst planning chief of all time..no taste no appreciation of environment…developers lap dog….build to sell to outsiders…investment greedy scammers ruining our home…face it Freddie we just don’t want you
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J Lamborrari who’s your money on?
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@ Adrian #32
Nobody, and I wouldn’t risk my money without putting more thought or research into the decision. I like to know what the consequences of my action are likely to be.
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Time for a coup me thinks, who’s with me? Let’s not forget we (the collective “we anyway”) voted him in. The Government should work for the people not the other way around and unless “we” do something about it NOTHING will change. HOW IN GODS NAME CAN FREDDIE DO BOTH ROLES OBJECTIVELY? ANSWER HE CANT!!!
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It will be interesting to see, come the next election, how our current Environment and Planning Minister fares at the ballot box.
I, for one, will not be placing my cross in the box next to his name on the ballot paper.
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Put your hand up if you voted for COHEN. Well shame on you, see what he has done. Mr Dandara will be pleased along with its shareholders How come Harcourt are still building the new shopping complex? Lets just hope we do not get rained on so much that our golden banana explodes. Who is buying these flats at £500k a go?
Who knows, who cares! Roll on the new incinerator which will improve our health and those people living around it to no end. Thinking of Madeira.
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Jersey, truly down the proverbial s**t hole. A place to desperately accumulate the coin and then scarper when you can.
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My additional guess is that halfway or thereabouts through the waterfront dev,Harcourt will run into trouble yet again and suddenly we’ll have a “You can carry the baby” scenario with all the attendant excuses trotted out…fill yer pockets and run is not a good strategy, look at the U.S situation..the court cases.the boy Ozouf’s deadline could not be met.what back up, what deposits held..we are now known all over the planet as a place you can overcharge and if it all goes pear shaped run away ,my tax quids,your tax quids….but hey who gives a damn..not the people you voted in and their army of parasites that’s for sure.
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The waterfront is so ugly and within 10 years time all these buildings will look worn and torn, faded and more ugly. It happened in cardiff and glasgow.
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Look at the flats on the former inn on the park site they look dated already and in need of a re vamp on the outside.
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Jersey governed by the few for the few.
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