‘Make it easier to demolish listed buildings’
Saturday 10th July 2010, 2:59PM BST.
Senator Jim Perchard
THE law should be changed to make it easier to demolish listed buildings if there would be a social or economic benefit to the Island.
Senator Jim Perchard says that the rules at the moment are too strict and a more open-minded view needs to be taken when it comes to de-listing buildings.
He says that part of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 is ‘deficient’ and he has proposed to the States that it be amended.
The Queen's Diamond Jubilee
JEP Jubilee Editions
Saturday 2 June: Guide to Celebrations
Wednesday 6 June: Souvenir of Events
View The Queen in Jersey supplement
Travel
To, from and around the Island
Airport Arrivals/Departures
Harbours Arrivals/Departures
Bus Information/Timetables
This is Jersey
Jersey Evening Post
Useful links
Jimmy is behind the times as ever!
All he needs to do is look at his own parish .If your face fits with a Minister or Assistant Minister then you can damage and utilise for your own business a world class SSI that belongs to the public without any published permissions whatsoever!
Surely not ! I hear you cry .
All you have to do is find the Jersey example of ‘The Devils Causeway’ and the proof lies there.
Report abuse
‘Social and economic benefits’ are very subjective.
…and the subtext to SP’s comments is lets knock down some beautiful listed buildings to make a quick big buck on short-term housing solutions. A very dangerous idea. Wondering where the backhanders are.
Report abuse
BLI &b SSI has nothing to do with ecconomics, nothing, back off perchard
Report abuse
What planet is this man on?
You had your day Jim, leave before you make anymore stupid comments!
Report abuse
Could we demolish the states ? thats a listed one right ?
Report abuse
It beggars belief that after all the heritage that Jersey has lost over the last 30 odd years,there are still short sighted people like this man in the States of Jersey.One assumes he wasn’t concerned when janvrins farm was bulldozed overnight and would be in agreement with further actions like this!
Report abuse
Hogan is right. Easier to make a quick buck to build flats. Just change laws as you go along. Can anyone tell me who brought in Law whereby land could not be separated say from farmhouse?
Report abuse
‘Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 is deficient’ – so are a lot of politicians!!!
Report abuse
A jolly Jim jape! Let it pass.
Report abuse
The Odeon is not the most gorgeous building we have,however Listed building are such to keep the sweaty palms of developer off them,but yet the west park pavillion was allowed to go down the pan for flats….and it truly was a unique and special building….Greed is the disease here.and Jimmy …sling your hook you ain’t making it back.
Report abuse
I wonder if Jimmy has any more historic barns he would like to turn into residential.
Mc Donalds get Ronald and his big feet – Jersey get Jimmy Perchard and his feet in big mouth.!
The sooner he gets back to his spuds the better.
Report abuse
The true character of Jersey has been plundered and pillaged for too long in the cause of rampant greed. Jim Perchard is simply another culprit like our planning Minister, that is happy enough to see our heritage squandered.
I would like to challenge Senator’s Perchard & Cohen to protect our island’s unique history for future generations…or face the ballot as soon as possible and tell us why they won’t.
Report abuse
@truthseeker
West Park Pavilion was a hideous mess thank god common sense prevailed and it was knocked down.
The idea we should keep third rate buildings that are unusable is so stupid, the odean and west pavilion were unusable and no merit at all. We should only list buildings that are exceptional. Or next we should list the new cinema on the waterfront as it is a one of a kind building!
The new flats on the west park site look great provide nice homes for people rather than an ugly unusable building that a few have some memories of.
Report abuse
Listed buildings can already be demolished under the current rules if there’s sufficient reason to justify doing so. For instance, there was an old granite farmhouse alongside the airport which was recently allowed to be demolished because it infringed airport safety.
If a building is listed, then that’s because it has some historic or architectural value and is considered to be an important part of the island’s heritage – if you want to demolish one, then it simply means you’ll have to present a very good case before being allowed to do so, more so than with a non-listed building…which sounds about right to me. The rules are ok as they are Jimbo – find something more important to do with your time.
Report abuse
Why would you want beauty and heritage when you could have nice shiny empty flats? I wonder if the politicians who come up with these dopey ideas actually live in the Island they’re so keen to trash for a quick buck.
Report abuse
13 Tom rather than make silly comments.why don’t you look in last week’s paper where along with a shot of Hughie and Joyce Behan,,,you can educate yourself as to the unique design of the Pav. which was magnificent in it’s day and only neglect let it down,then drive to Corbiere and on your left see the comparisson between the large slit bunker and the flats on the Pav site…yes identical.
Report abuse
Selling off or the demolition of one’s heritage is the new fad these days and all of those who have participated have lived to regret what could have been a more valuable resource both in historic and commercial tourism values.
Report abuse
Sorry to go against the grain here but i agree with Perchard.
I hate seeing all these old depressing buildings sitting around just making this island look like one giant old people’s home
Out with the old and in with the new is what i say.
Obviously caution must be taken to not let any old tom dick or harry throw up some i sore block of shoeboxes and claiming them to be flats.
I do prefer walking through the modern parts of town and seeing a bit of creative architecture. We are supposed to a be a wealthy finance centre. lets start looking like it.
I remember i went to hong kong once and just seeing the amazing buildings over there its just incredible and then when you come back to jersey and you see things like the time lost heap of rubbish next to the library. i think its called the mechanics institute or something. That looks like somewhere full of old people that would just make you cry if someone said you had to spend time in there!!!
Yuuk! where as somewhere like the new JFSC builing, much more aesthetically pleasing! I want to go in there. i want an excuse to go in there and just appreciate a new building that hasnt got a coral at the rear to park your horse and cart!
Sorry if i went a bit over the top there
Report abuse
I can not believe that a States Member cares so little about Jersey’s heritage that he is willing to propose a law that states that listed buildings can be demolished.
Report abuse
Anyone remember Janvrins Farm? One whiff of it becoming an SSI and listed and BANG.. bulldozed before anyone can even blink.
Yes the Odeon is ghastly and the pav was awful BUT every building should be considered an SSI and then judged on its merits by a committee re use etc.
I think most of the island would be grateful to see the odeon gone its a grey monstrosity, but before a designation is changed there should be proper control and consultation – yes make it easier but easier in a controlled manner.
Report abuse
I do not always agree with our Jimmy, but his comments are bang on the money this time.
Report abuse
Can I put my deposit down now for my future flat at Elizabeth or Gorey Castle. Cheque made payable to Dandara Ltd isn’t it?
Report abuse
Funny that you clearly can demolish listed buildings if you are certain people yet some houses are going unsold because they come with no parking, a problem that could easily be fixed at the housebuyer’s expense by removing railings in front of the house. Ooops, sorry, can’t remove those railings because planning says so! Whole buildings though? Of course, go ahead!
Report abuse
Brilliant idea. lets make it even easier for the island to be raped and scoured, losing its heritage and becoming milton keynes by the sea.
Report abuse
Perhcard is very wrong on this.
I agree it could be made easier to renovate and maintain listed properties – thereby avoiding delapidation and encouraging people to want to keep and maintain such buildings. But there is absolutely no reason to encourage demolishion (other than to line the pockets of unsympathetic developers).
Report abuse
If he is concerned about the maintenance of buildings then empty/unoccupied buildings the owner should be made to pay a premium (triple their rates?) This would achieve the following:
a. reduce rents
b. increase revenue
c. ensure all building are fit to be occupied
d. make the states look after their own buildings.
e. reduce teh need to BUILD more Dandard monstrosities which are empty.
f. stop speculation from overseas investors – artificially inflating the prices of properties..
Report abuse
What is the motivation for this? Do we think a friend may have been refused planning permission? Or perhaps Mr P has a listed building he’d like to sell to the big D.
Report abuse
A grant system should be put into place whereby owners of listed properties can apply for States assistance to maintain and upkeep for the sake of Jersey’s declining heritage.
Report abuse
Can,t wait until they knock down Gorey castle to make way for a multi storey car park. Elizabeth castle can be knocked down too because Jersey is desperate for over priced rabbit hutch size luxury apartments which could be built there.Gosh aint those two castles an eyesore blighting the countryside!Ruins the beautiful view of the raddison hotel and castle view rabbit hutches
Report abuse
There are so many buildings on this island that the vocal minority like to keep just so they can drive past them, but are entirely useless. Just because they look ‘quaint’ is not a reason to keep them. Whilst I am not advocating the destruction of Gorey or Elizabeth Castle, I am talking about a considerable number of old granite buildings which are structurally unsound and have been given heritage listed status, but are useless. The granite coudl be recycled (appeasing the vocal minority greenies and heritage lovers alike), and used to create new apartment accomodation for non-quals.
Report abuse
What A Nutter at 29: Whislt you are being somewhat facetious, I ask, is Elizabeth Castle really that good a site? I am not suggesting it be buitl on, but really, it isn’t particularly pleasant to look at… Give me sea views anyday!
Report abuse
RT – either you’re just trying to get a rise or you’re an ignorant fool. Of course Eliz Castle is a ‘good site’. Not many places in the world are lucky enough to have such a feature. The bay at night, flat calm, with the castle lit up can be stunning.
As for many old granite buildings being structurally unsound and useless, you do have point. But its wrong to suggest such buildings should be easily demolished. We will just end up with characterless cheap rubbish in their place. A much more sensible option is to allow more flexibility with listed buildings – i.e. enabling affordable modernisation with some sympathy to the heritage, as opposed to the very restrictive and expensive adherence to keeping a building ‘as of old’.
Report abuse
I wonder how long it will be until Jim Perchard (or someone of that ilk – the list is infinite in its length) will notice that Hamptonne is now closed to visitors?
I also wonder how long after that Dandara’s bulldozers will be on site there, levelling it for yet more ugly snd unwanted apartments?
Report abuse
Listed building sin the end fall down, so why list them in the first instance? There has to be more to this than meets the eye. Anyway, listed and green zones have been built on. If you have money there is way. Next time you drive along the coast look up just by Le Hocq.
Report abuse
The most listed building in Jersey is probably the old station house near First Tower.
It lists noticeably.
Report abuse
Tom @ 13
“The idea we should keep third rate buildings that are unusable is so stupid, the odean and west pavilion were unusable and no merit at all.”
What makes you say that?
The Odeon was once a superb cinema before it had to reduce the number of screens…there is/was no reason why this could not be restored to its former glory….and at least we’d still have an alternative cinema venue in town!
West Park pavilion could have been turned into a decent casino and restaurant venue.
They are both part of Jersey heritage in my opinion.
Report abuse
Jim, a farmer, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut near a cricket pitch. One evening a developer visited the hut only to discover there was nothing worth redeveloping.
Jim returned and caught him. ‘You may have come a long way to visit me, maybe even from Ireland’, he told the developer, ‘and you should not return empty-handed. Please take my clothes as a gift.’
The developer was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away.
Jim sat naked, watching the moon. ‘Poor fellow,’ he mused, ‘I wish I could give him this beautiful moon.’
Report abuse