Waterfront Skateboard and Youth and Community Centre

STATES OF JERSEY

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WATERFRONT SKATEBOARD AND YOUTH AND COMMUNITY CENTRE

Lodged au Greffe on 15th January 2008 by Deputy J.B. Fox of St. Helier

STATES GREFFE

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

to re q uest the Council of Ministers to –

(a ) ta k e all necessary steps, in conjunction with the Waterfront Enterprise Board if necessary, (and if

appropriate the proposed Jersey Enterprise Board Limited) to ensure that a skateboard park is established on the old TNT warehouse site on the New North Quay by a target date of December 2008;

(b ) ta k e all necessary steps, in conjunction with the Waterfront Enterprise Board if necessary, (and if

appropriate the proposed Jersey Enterprise Board Limited) to ensure that a Youth and Community Centre is established on part of the area on top of the Waterfront multi-storey car park by a target date of 2011.

DEPUTY J.B. FOX OF ST. HELIER

REPORT

Some 4  years ago the Channel Islands Skateboard Association approached St.  Helier Youth Committee with view to establishing a permanent Skateboard facility in St. Helier.

In November 2004 it was established that the People's Park would make an ideal place to support the facility of a Skateboard Park cut into the bank furthest away from residential dwellings.

This was approved by a Parish Assembly but was rejected by the residents of the immediate area and 2 of the Deputies of the District were adamant that such a facility should be on the Waterfront where the temporary Skateboard Park was already established.

It soon became clear that the Health and Safety Executive, Health Protection Department did not favour open air Skateboard Parks due to the noise factor and it was quickly established that Planning consent was unlikely to be granted unless the noise levels could be agreed with Health Protection.

As the principle aim of this youth facility was for the less well-off young people living in the bowl of St.  Helier and of course any other young persons in the Island wishing to skateboard or pursue other extreme sports, we looked at other sites such as Springfield, the Lower Park, St.  Andrew's Park, but all received resistance from the Health and Safety Executive.

It was apparent that the only likely available outdoor area to get approval from the Health Protection Department was the Lower Park, alongside Victoria Avenue, but this had concerns from other agencies about the safety of young people due to the volume of traffic in the immediate area.

Although the Department would agree in principle only if it was positioned in the centre of the Lower Park, thereby restricting other public activities, however they still favoured enclosed sites.

After considerable consultations, part of the area of the top of the Waterfront car park was initially identified as a suitable site but the facility would have to be enclosed. The cost of providing an all-weather facility of a design to contain the noise emulating from such a building was considered to be too costly and inappropriate for the area due to the large number of proposed residential and other commercial dwellings.

However, it is recognized that there is a need for a long-term Youth and Community Centre to facilitate all the dwellings that are already built and that are proposed, and therefore it is considered that as this particular piece of land has no up-front commercial value, that it would be ideally suited for this purpose.

In the interim, the long-term proposals for the New North Quay have since been updated and one of the original sites looked at, namely the old TNT warehouse site on the New North Quay, which would provide a perfect standalone skateboard/extreme sports facility as it will no longer be adjacent to proposed buildings that will contain residential accommodation.

Proposition (a)

Old TNT Warehouse Site on the New North Quay currently used as a temporary car park – proposal for Skateboard and other Extreme Sports Facility

This site is desirable in the first instance as it is an open site currently used as a temporary car parking space and could quickly be made into an open-air skateboard/extreme sports (BMX bike and roller-bladers) facility measuring 25 metres by 33 metres.

Due to the lack of residential or other occupied buildings within the immediate area, an open-air facility would I believe satisfy the various agencies' criteria for such a facility (to be confirmed).

The original given disadvantage by WEB and the Harbour Office was that it was a valuable future commercial site, but it must be recognised that there are requirements for community facilities and this site is the only site that can be identified fit for purpose within such a large overall Waterfront redevelopment area.

If the Health Protection Department insist that a building of some sort is still required for this open site, it will not, I submit, have the same ascetic design or insulation requirements that would be required elsewhere and therefore will be more cost-effective to achieve.

Access to the site for young persons is sufficiently safe as there are already 2  established pedestrian controlled crossings from Liberation Square across to the top of the New North Quay, with a pedestrian access route through the Yacht Marina car park, pass the Maritime Museum and Sailor's Rest Café through to the front of this proposed youth facility. It is also an area that the young persons already use and are familiar with.

With regard to any other possible concerns involving large commercial vehicles using the area including the New North Quay, this Quay is protected outside working hours by a large security fence and gates, thereby keeping all unauthorised  persons from gaining  access  to  the Quay, which  is  behind  the proposed youth  facility  and  a restricted area at all times.

A simple pedestrian barrier/fence where appropriate can be erected to channel the young persons through the designated route to ensure that they remain safe between the proposed new youth facility and Liberation Square where they already congregate.

Proposition (b)

Youth and Community Centre, Waterfront – to be situated on top of the Waterfront Multi-Storey Car Park

At a recent meeting with Mr. Stephen Izatt, Chief Executive, Waterfront Enterprise Board and States' Waterfront Enterprise Board Member, Senator James Perchard, it was confirmed that it was no longer considered realistic or feasible to include the skateboard facility on this proposed Waterfront site, but there was a need for a Youth and Community Centre.

It was therefore suggested, and I agree, that this site should be retained for the use of an appropriate Youth and Community Centre to provide the community needs of the residential developments that have been and are proposed to be included within this Waterfront development.

The Chief Executive of WEB confirmed that such a facility should be financed by the developers as part of their Planning Brief within the overall costs of the residential developments.

Financial/manpower implications

There are no financial or manpower implications for the States arising from the Proposition as any costs will be included within the overall cost of the commercial developments. Agreement has already been given by WEB to provide a £100,000 fund for the skateboard park and a £100,000 fund towards the Youth facilities. In addition, Seaton Youth Centre has been sold and the Treasury has already agreed that the money raised (£500,000) will be put towards the improvement of youth facilities and activities.

_______________________________________________________________ Re-issue Note

This projet is re-issued because a sentence before paragraphs (a) and (b) of the proposition was omitted from the original version.