From Donald Filleul, former chairman, Waterfront Enterprise Board.
I STRONGLY support the Constable of St Helier, Simon Crowcroft, in his remarks about the quite unacceptable proposal to develop La Folie and its precincts with more housing – indeed, with any buildings at all.

The disgraceful but not unusual neglect by the States of the pub and its surroundings seems to be following another tendency exemplified by the unrestrained high-rise and high-value construction throughout the Waterfront.

Not, I have to say, the programme envisaged by the WEB of my day, nor that of my predecessor, who saw the area as an opportunity for green open space. We had instructions to produce a leisure pool, a luxury hotel and a specific amount of accommodation, principally for local residents of moderate means.

This we did, albeit with unfortunate interference from the all-knowing and all-powerful planners, themselves not only influenced but probably ‘persuaded’ by political enthusiasts for economic expansion.

That this has proved largely to the profit not of Jersey’s indigenous people, but of large scale developers, is a matter of opinion. Though not a very Godly person, I am reminded of St Matthew’s admonition of Matthew chapter 6 verse 24: ‘Ye cannot serve God and Mammon’ and I fervently believe that God would have preferred grass.

There are grounds for wondering exactly where the Planning department thinks it has been going in recent years. Its officer’s recommendation, tamely accepted by the Applications Panel, that Mont de Gouray should be blighted by the replacement of Camellia Cottage with a trio of unsuitable dwellings, is unsurprising if he truly believes that ‘there is nothing special about Gorey’.

Presumably he and his colleagues who, among other horrors, desecrated the skyline of St Aubin (another not special place?) prefer to consult their university textbooks rather than respect the heritage of the beautiful Island from which they draw their not insignificant emoluments.

I have to join those who call for a comprehensive change in the composition and structure of the Planning and Environment department . There appears to be a Senatorial volunteer for this onerous ministry and he should be appointed before he changes his mind.