Let’s be clear: I hoped to improve Portelet
Tuesday 20th September 2011, 3:00PM BST.
From Senator Freddie Cohen, former Minister for Planning and Environment.
OVER the past weeks and months there have been several articles and letters in your publication commenting on the Portelet redevelopment. I would like to set the record straight.
I did not approve the redevelopment of the former holiday camp at Portelet. Planning permission was given for the development before I was elected to the States and before I became Planning and Environment Minister.
My involvement was to try and improve on the consent already in place which was a piece of uninspiring, flat roofed architecture of circa 1970. I could have simply turned a blind eye and blamed a previous Planning sub-committee, but my job as an elected representative and as the then Planning Minister was to deliver the best I could for Jersey.
I did not have the opportunity of withdrawing the original legally binding consent or returning Portelet to nature as would have been my preference.
Another important factor when considering Portelet is that the curved roofed houses breaking the escarpment above the skyline and often shown in pictures of Portelet are a completely different development. These houses are on the site of the old Bergerac Hotel, again this development was approved by a Planning sub-committee long before I became elected.
Sir Richard MacCormac’s contemporary development at Portelet has already won seven design awards but like many contemporary buildings it has generated considerable controversy. Despite the claims that the new development is larger than the old holiday camp it is in fact around 15% smaller.
The position with regard to Plemont is entirely different. There was no prior consent in place and I consistently refused every application for redevelopment during my term as Environment Minster. Furthermore, I have made it clear that the site should be acquired by the public and returned to nature. Indeed I have offered to lead negotiations.
Other buildings I have been accused of approving but were actually given consent before my election to the States include: the Radisson Hotel, the swimming pool and cinema at the waterfront and the large houses at La Coupe and Le Hocq.
Statistically, it’s very easy to become unpopular when you become the Planning Minister. During the five years I spent in the post more than 12,000 applications were determined. Each application has an applicant and usually at least one objector, one of whom will be disappointed once a decision has been made. My apologies to the 12,000 Islanders who happened not to agree with the difficult daily decisions a Planning Minister faces.
The States will elect a new Planning Minister in November, I shall not be putting my name into the hat. However, I wish the new minister the best of luck, South Hill can be a lonely place at the best of times!
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You hoped to improve it with this hideous, over large monstronsity – well I hate to think what a ‘making it worse’ situation would look like!
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So who did give the approval for Portlet, yes including the site of the Bergerac Hotel?
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“The States will elect a new Planning Minister in November, I shall not be putting my name into the hat.”
That assumes that you will be sitting in the States in November.
I know a lot of people who voted for you last time, none of whom will be voting for you this time.
Plus I really do not trust you at all when you say if you are going to stand for election.
A few weeks ago you were not going to stand for Senator and now you are standing.
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what a play with words 15% smaller? you know people mean in height not volume, 5 stories is not 15% smaller than 2 stories
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What about all the other monstrosities that have sprung up since he was in control. Including the destruction of the North Coast.
The houses that have been built there have completely ruined that coastline too.
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“The States will elect a new Planning Minister in November, I shall not be putting my name into the hat.”
As pompous as ever Freddie, talk about taking the electors for granted I voted for you last time then I had faith in you now I will not under any circumstances vote for you again.
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Portlet may have been approved by the time you were elected Minister but you had the power to change some of the features. Why White? Why not a color to blend in with the surroundings like some of the other apartments around our coastline?
You blame others for the mistakes but take a look at what you have approved and what we as the public do not really understand at the moment until the next planning Minister states “given consent before my election to the States”
I agree you can not please every voter but you sure did not try hard at pleasing the majority.
You also sound confident you will be voted in again and walk straight in the Foreign Ministers job but you forget we have the choice of a total of 12 others and we get to choice 4. I believe you have had your chance and its time to have faith in someone else for the next 4 years.
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As a resident in Portelet directlty overlooking this monstrosity, I have a very thick file of all our objections over the years. Unfortunately back in the years of the original planning applications we did not have the benefit of the internet as we now have. All of the residents affected here made strong objections but there seemed no interest from anyone outside our area.. For every letter of objection to planning we only received a letter of acknowledgement saying our objections would be considered. That obviously had no weight and now everyone is complaining. My point being that just because it is not in your backyard, do not be complacent because it could be you next !
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And another point, your supposed remit for an “art” contribution to the island for this development is naff. The “entrance” gates look like a gateway to a kindergarten and are of no benefit to any Islander as they are by definition a barrier. Hardly a work of art to be appreciated
by the population who will never have the opportunity to pass through !
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What about the disgusting plate glass and concrete mess on the Amy house historic building site at St Catherine’s? “mea non culpa” again I suppose!
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Well, no surprises there Freddie, nowt to do with me eh? Was the retainiang of the eyesore on Bath Street not your decision? How about the most hideous car park ever constructed in Kensington Place with Pseudo Arabesque style panels, have a look from Peoples Park as it stands above The Grand Hotel or better from the top of Westmount and admire the unfinished back end facing North. Just like one of the bunkers built circa 1942. No Freddie you may claim nowt to do with me, but a lot of carbuncles were commisioned on your watch. As for not putting your hat in the ring again, you are certainly showing typical pomposity in assuming you will be re-elected.
I think the electorate may have other ideas, and wonder do we actaully need a Foreign Minister?
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Overpopulated #1. Perhaps like so many of the other sad souls on this blog you should do a bit of research and get your facts right before putting pen to paper.
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I would like to set the record straight.
#epicfail… stop digging, Freddie.
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Too late Freddie!
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At the hustings at St Clement’s Parish Hall last night, Senator Cohen stated that planning consent for the Portelet development had been granted by “Jerry Dorey’s Committee”. As far as I am aware, Mr Dorey was never President of IDC, however whilst he was on that committee, Senator Philip Ozouf was President. I wonder why Senator Cohen made this misleading statement?
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Nellie 15. At last someone has put a name into the ring. Please could Senator Cohen confirm, if it is correct, that Philip Ozouf was President of IDC when the Portlet development was originally approved. It just might get him off the hook.
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#16 Nellie.
Looks like you are right on the money there Nellie, Question is was Freddie mistaken or just economical with the truth yet again.. Whatever, it makes you think what would be his motive to dis-engage Ozouf from the very committee of which he indeed was President of.
Maybe the old pals act, obsequiousness, sycophantish I really could not comment. But what a bunch of duplicitous misfits we have in charge of the Island.
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I think that you’ll find that Philip Ozouf was responsible for a whole host of monstrosities during his stewardship of Planning & Environment – including Raddisons, Portelet, Le Hocq etc.
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It doesn’t let Senator Cohen off the hook at all as the Planning Minister can force developers to make amendments to plans that have already been passed. He cannot cancel the planning permission which has been granted but he can do a lot to mitigate the damage.
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Senator Ozouf claims that the previous IDC committee to his passed the Radisson – I think the President at that time would have been Maurice Dubras? (someone may wish to confirm this). Again, Senator Ozouf was only bound by the actual permission to build – he could have had the design greatly altered. I believe he did in fact force the developers to alter the plans but only to make it even worse.
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There is not a lot of hope is there??? Is it worth voting, YES IT IS, PLEASE VOTE we can change things, (please god).
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He still just doesn’t get it does he. The fact that the original ‘uninspiring’ Planning approved scheme was more appropriate for the site was that it didn’t detract from or fight against what is a stunning peice of costal landscape. The fact it was ‘flat- roofed’ would have been a positive attribute as it would have sat below the horizon line. Surely more appropriate than the massive bright-white upside-down skateboard ramps we have been left with. It is the lanscape that should have been the dominant party, not the architecture! His whole time as Planning Minister was one huge power trip that went very badly wrong.
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Sanity (12) Perhaps like so many of the other sad souls on this blog
Sanity, who is the more sad, you or me?
As far as I am concerned Senator Cohen’s focus on the Portelet redevelopment, not to mention the ‘anti-Semitic’ incident, are distractions from the Harcourt fiasco, which was 100% Freddie Cohen. In my view the subject letter is little more than the last shot by Cohen at the last chance salon.
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The Large House at Le Hocq I believe was given approval only if landscaping hid it from view, since the developers cut down all the trees surrounding it when will this occur? 20/30 years time?
As Planning Minister he could enforce the rules a little bit more than he did.
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Not much point in having damned trees in the way when you have paid millions for a sea view, what?
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Only now have you tried to explain your self about Portelet, and I expect the only reason for this is that you are up for re-election.
What ever you thought for this once beautiful place has not worked it hideous and pretentious
once again pandering to the rich.
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Freddie only wants to get back into the States for the Foreign ” jolly holidays ” Minister post. Clutching at straws. Em! how did you vote on the open vote for the next Chief Minister?
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Quint, I think you will find that Pip Ozouf was planning when that house got permission to build. Playboys ring bell??
Whilst I am not keen on the build, if you walk around the area now you will see the tress have grown well and are getting closer to hiding it.
Thank god.
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Like lots of others Freddie you had my vote before but you abused my trust with incompetent decisions and being an Ozouf puppet. Bye Bye
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Play Boys (28) Whilst I am not keen on the build
I can confirm the trees are now up to the roof line, other than on the south side which will have uninterrupted sea views. The Le Hocq house is not the blot that many imagined
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At least with the Internet it is possible to see the mean thoughts people have for anybody trying to do anything in politics in the Island. I think Senator Cohen’s comment put to rest nearly all the criticisms but then these people are so cynical they won’t trust anyone.
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I doubt if there any in the unalected States majority, whom could have satisfied the public in that poisoned chalice of Planning and Environment. Senator Cohen stuck with it, faced with various previous planning decisions,made long before he came to office.His successor,parish deputy Rob Duhamel, whom voted with his fellow district councillors to reduce the only democratically elected members of the States, is now in the firing line himself, over his decision to deprive six families of affordable homes at Uplands, under the “homebuyer” scheme.
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LET’S BE REALLY CLEAR…..you may not have been able to control something going there …but could have and should have controlled WHAT went there …it’s on you and it’s gonna cost you in the election.
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24 Vote Quint! wrote; ‘As Planning Minister he could enforce the rules a little bit more than he did.’
Newsflash
Planning have just two enforcement officers for the entire island. Try as they might there are only so many hours in the day. They are also entitled to take holidays, weekends off and are occassionally sick I presume.
In my road alone I can think of at least half a dozen planning issues that need enforcing. These two guys have no chance of dealing with enforcment on the scale that the island needs it and are barely scratching the surface.
Unfortunately for the rest of us, the developers are fully aware of this fact and invariably get away with it.
In the meantime the buck stops nowhere.
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