Senator Cohen improved our built environment
Thursday 25th August 2011, 3:00PM BST.
From Bruce Willing.
I TAKE issue with Len Vautier’s comment (JEP, 22 August) regarding Senator Cohen having ‘done more damage to this Island than anyone I can remember’.
Sadly he does not describe the ‘damage’ but I assume that he is referring to Senator Cohen’s five and a half years as Minister of Planning and Environment. I guess, therefore, that he is referring to Planning decisions like the Radisson and, thanks to its continuing exposure in this paper, Portelet.
Neither of these planning permissions were originally granted by Senator Cohen who, in the case of Portelet, took great care to require amended schemes that improved on the originally approved design – and good design is where Senator Cohen has focused his attention throughout his time as Planning Minister.
Far from damage, Senator Cohen has improved the built environment through actively encouraging good design, both through our local architects and by encouraging internationally recognised architects to design buildings in Jersey.
He initiated the Percentage for Art programme that has delivered an increasing set of fine sculpture for everyone’s enjoyment, he has overseen the introduction of new building regulations to compliment good design and ensure that new buildings meet internationally and nationally recognised environmental standards and he has piloted through a thorough review of our Island’s future built environment through the comprehensive Island Plan 2011 approved by the States in June.
As Environment Minister he ensured that the restructuring of the old Agriculture and Fisheries Department led directly into the current Planning and Environment department in order that the future environment of our Island could be managed holistically with the sea, air and built environment being considered as one. He introduced the hugely successful Eco-Active programme and a new States Environment Strategy, soon to be followed by an Energy Strategy.
Thanks to the internal politics within the States, we are likely to lose Senator Cohen as a politician, due to the reduction in Senatorial seats and the many personal attacks that have been made against him. Meanwhile he continues to be our Foreign Affairs Minister, a job that only now is being recognised for its importance for the development of our economy.
Rather than making defamatory and unsubstantiated statements about
Senator Cohen, perhaps Mr Vautier would like to reflect on what Jersey is going to lose when Senator Cohen departs from the political scene.
At the very least he should credit Senator Cohen for actually doing what he promised to do in his election campaign on 2005. How many politicians can say that they have done that?
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You’re a brave man Bruce, you know you won’t get much support on here.
Personally, when I’m an old man, I will tell my grandchildren about Senator Cohen, and how he was one of the most destructive politicians I ever had the misfortune to witness in office
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Mr Willing was Cohens campaign manager when he last got elected. One of the G & T coctail-diner party set. I am not surprised that he tries and defend the indefensible .
Cohens rule at Planning was a disaster, it represented everything bad about Ministerial government. An out of touch minister, with huge powers making off the wall decisions .
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Beaumont like Mr Vautier fails to identify the damage he claims Senator Cohen has done to the Island.
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If this letter is groundbait for an election bid by the writer, it won’t do him any favours.
Like it or not, even if he has been wildly misunderstood, Cohen has ruined his own chances of re-election. Taking his side will not help anyone else with political aspirations.
Supporting Jersey’s folk hero, Stuart Syvret, would be a smarter move.
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Sadly for Mr Cohen he was unlucky as a politician.
He was not responsible for some really appalling planning decisions but they were built on his watch so he has come to be associated with them.
The Portelet development was really amazingly ugly when it was being built, now it is finished it is still pretty awful. The Radissson managed to win the Carbuncle Cup in 2008 for the ugliest building in the British Isles.
Mr Cohen went from no political experience to being elected Senator and becoming Planning Minister in a few months.
Maybe a few years on the backbenches learning the basic craft of being a politician would have been of use in spotting the pits that lurk for the unwary in public life?
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Quote 2 Thanks Joel
“Mr Willing was Cohen’s campaign manager when he last got elected. One of the G & T cocktail-diner party set”
Explains how this man can write such nonsense examples of appaling buildings Beauport, Radison. Monstrousitys on the coast near St Kathrine’s too many to name Cohen was a total disaster the worst planning minister ever an arrogant man who new better than his own planning staff !!
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Mr Willis- you have got to be joking man……
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Oh Brucie boy, tut, tut………..good try though.
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This kind of toe curling grovelling tends to lower the tone of the letters page, chaps (cue high pitched laughter from the officers’ mess followed by the sound of military hooray Henry high jinks). Wizard, old boy!
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Are you having a laugh? [Turns round to face the audience] “is he having a laugh?!”
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Mr Willing’s letter would have had rather more credibility if it had made clear his apparent connection with Senator Cohen’s election campaign. It’s a long enough letter so how come this ever so slightly important and relevant fact was mysteriously omitted? Could he have forgotten?
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I’m sorry Mr Willing, but when I speak to friends about Senator Cohen, the majority of responses wouldn’t be repeatable before the 9pm watershed.
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“…and he has piloted through a thorough review of our Island’s future built environment through the comprehensive Island Plan 2011 approved by the States in June.”
Stable door and horse, really. If he was that bothered he wouldn’t have granted permission for some of the carbuncles like the disgusting mess on the Amy house site at St Catherine. What’s the good of a review? Is Cohen reviewing himself? If so, why couldn’t he have done it earlier or, better still, not been planning “minister” in the first place? Why is he now “foreign minister” (sic) with no political mandate or public willingness that he be so? How much are his antics abroad costing the island politically and in terms of expenses?
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This newly created job of “Foreign Minister”, were there any other candidates, why him?
He has proven himself to be a failure as Planning Minister.
How much does this job pay?, the Public have had this thrust on them, and seem to be ignorant of any details regarding this vacant position,
I never knew that Jersey were ever in need of a Foreign Minister.
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The problem with Freddie Cohen is simple. He is very rich, has financial connections with the building/development sector and during his tenure allowed a large number of developments go ahead which seemed to favour developers and the very rich. At the same time he was generally perceived as imposing lots of petty and irrelevant obstructions in the way of private individuals who simply wished to build extensions.
The result – he’s not very popular.
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Thanks Bruce,
Now shut the door on your way out
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http://www.maxpropertygroup.com/board.aspx
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” g
Posted August 26, 2011 at 11:09 pm
Mr Willing’s letter would have had rather more credibility if it had made clear his apparent connection with Senator Cohen’s election campaign. It’s a long enough letter so how come this ever so slightly important and relevant fact was mysteriously omitted?”
It’s even more interesting when one takes into account the rumours currently flying around local blogs that Cohen will soon be reversing his decision not to stand for election this year.
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Amongst the hysterical opinions prompted by someone who supports Mr Cohen daring to put his view across, Mona Lot asserts that “he has proven himself to be a failure”.
Proof? Proof? What are the benchmarks of success you are using Mona – facts not fiction – and where is your detailed assessment of Mr Cohen’s execution of his responsibilities that proves that he was a “failure”. Do you actually know what his detailed responsibilities are?
You are just blurting out your opinion which is fair enough, but there is no proof here. I guess you are Mona Lot rather than Prova Lot.
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At least the new Castle Quay development – the one on the Waterfront that is just about finished -makes the Raddsson Hotel look better Mr Willing.
Go up to Fort Regent Mr G&T Willing should take his little mate and look at the mess down at Castle Quay.
The roof lines, the stuffing of as many units as possible on the site, the concrete block-like form and colour.
The scaffolding is now down, exposing the frosted glass balconies, horrid. Its a mess – a planning disgrace.
I remember Eric Kluns earlier plans for the site. Graceful and elegant. I guess he wasn’t a knight of the realm and Fredie wouldn’t get a chance to sniff around him at the G&T parties which are now held in London (Jersey foreign minister stuff you know!)
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Mike.
Senator Cohen was entirely responsible for the develoment of the old “Rex Hotel” site in St. Saviors Rd., there are no where near enough parking places for the flats, “over 90″, there is no “on street” parking, that is enough “proof” for me, is he unaware of the parking problems in St. Helier?
The man is incompetent, everyone is aware he was a disaster as Planning Minister, that is, apart from yourself!.
And why was he given a job as Foreign Minister, jobs for the boys was it?
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Get real bruce willing go look at the carnage….btw who is bruce willing and what would make him an authority on cohens taste….laughable were it not so transparently pathetic.
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Mike @ 19 here is some proof as you requested.
Freddie Cohen had been Minister for Planning for a very long time when he actually admitted
that half the complaints made about the department he is Minister were true. At this time the police are carryout an investigation into corruption regarding planning with documents provided by Deputy Labey.
Planning Minister Freddie Cohen said.
I get people phoning me all the time about planning applications and it is always the same story. They have been let down by the Department, that everything is too slow, the Department is hopeless and it is quite difficult to deal with because half of the complaints are valid and the other half are just…they are trying it on.
It is on the States Jer/Gov WEB site under the name of Reg’s Skips page 151, which gives a damming report of many members of planning staff and of planning procedures.
http://www.statesassembly.gov.je/documents/reports/35208-5007-1692010.pdf
Tim South.
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Mona, not satisfied with quoting personal opinion as fact, you now elect yourself as spokesperson for “everyone”. Undoubtedly anyone daring to disagree with the Mighty Mona can be discarded as “one of the boys”. Maybe there are a lot of boys around.
Are there two “l”s in dilusional or three?
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However, it is true that a lot of the worst planning decisions were made under the previous watch. Now who was in control then, ah yes, the man who has gone on to do such a great job at Treasury – Senator Ozouf.
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This is the same Bruce Willing who did all the work for Farm Shops for free as reported in tonight’s Jep would be my guess.
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Mr Cohen. Will you really have the cheek to standa again?
Oh and you must think we are all stupid and would not notice the repositioning of the Cohen brand over the last few months.
The States needs fresh people and fresh ideas.
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Mr Willing your a dreamer.
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Mike
You are either deluded, or it’s in your financial interests to defend Cohen.
Unfortunately, this sums up the problem with Jersey politics. Because we have individuals rather than parties in charge, there’s too many financial conflicts of interest.
The States of Jersey has much in common with FIFA
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By the way who is Bruce Willing???
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A slight swerve here – but necessary, given that the people who run this site haven’t the cojones to offer us comment on everything they put up:
After the 2008 election, a great deal of fun was had with young Jeremy Macon, and many people suggested that his mother was pulling his strings.
Will the same critics now have the same fun over the fact that Senator Cohen dares not stand up to his wife and stand on his record as the Great Architect of the 21st Century?
I quote: ‘The position is that I have not got clearance,’ he said. ‘I will not do anything until I persuade my wife to agree that I can stand.’
Read more: http://www.thisisjersey.com/2011/08/31/senator-cohen-may-make-election-u-turn/#ixzz1Wdq9qGHV
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‘By the way who is Bruce Willing???’
Comments such as this merely show how little some commentators know who is who in Jersey.
If most of you weren’t immigrant parvenus straight off the J cat plane you would know already. I’ve known of him since the 1950s and when he stood for Grouville Constable I thought “Ah, yes, one of Miss Aubrey’s boys”. Surprisingly, he was beaten by somebody I had never heard of but obviously with a considerable following.
I suppose that there is really no excuse for not knowing who is who when we’ve got the JEP and Jersey Now constantly publicising the ruling elite (both existing and aspiring)!
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#24 Two ‘l’s, and just one appearance of each of the five vowels!
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Mac,
I’m no defender of Freddie but there is a difference between him and the infant Macon.
Being a mummy’s boy is just sad.
Doing what the wife wants is common sense.
Anyone who is married knows what I mean.
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Bruce,
If you think the development above Portelet Bay represents “good design” I suggest you make a quick visit to the nearest opticians…
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Mr Willing, you are delusional!
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Bruce Willing, you Sir are a deluded Brown Nose.
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