St. Helier Waterfront Development - height of buildings (P.158-2005) – comments

STATES OF JERSEY

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ST. HELIER WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT: HEIGHT OF BUILDINGS (P.158/2005) – COMMENTS

Presented to the States on 27th September 2005 by the Environment and Public Services Committee

STATES GREFFE

COMMENTS

The Environment and Public Services Committee considers it wholly inappropriate for the States to adopt this proposition for the following reasons –

1. T  h e Committee has already granted permission for the Waterfront Hotelwhich is 7  storeys high, and approved a development brief for the EsplanadeCar Park site that indicates that 7  storeys is acceptable at the westernendof the site.
2. T  h e Committeehas appointed theCommission for Architecture and theBuiltEnvironment(CABE) to provide it with adviceon design issuesfor the Waterfront.
3. P o l icy  BE5of the Island Plan deals with tall buildings. It states that:"Tall buildings, defined as those over five storeys in height, or rising more than two storeys above their neighbours, will only be permitted where the accompanying design statement fully justifies their exceptional height in urban design terms."

It g o e s on ".tall buildings will be critically assessed for their –

(a ) a p propriateness to the location and context; (b ) vi s ual impact;

(c ) d es ign quality; and

(d ) co n tribution to the character of St Helier.".

T h e r e is inconsistency between the Committee's duty to consider applications under this policy and

Deputy Breckon's proposition.

4. T  h e Committeeiscommissioningsupplementary guidance to policy  BE5on the appropriatenessof tall buildings onthe Waterfront, inrelationto their siting, designand composition. This typeofguidancehas been particularly useful for other planning authorities consideringsuch issues.
5. T h e Committee intends to review the WaterfrontDesignFrameworkit adopted in2001bythe end of the year, as strategic and economic policy has changedsince the existing Design Frameworkwaspreparedin 2001.
6. I t i s the Committee's intention that there will beproperconsultation with stakeholders and the general public on any variations to the Design Framework that arise from this Review.
7. T  h e Committee is determined to achieve the best possible development outcome for the Waterfront through the proper planning processes.

The Committee considers that Deputy Breckon's proposition is untimely, and if approved,  would place an undesirable constraint on the proper process of reviewing the Framework and the subsequent determination of planning applications, and accordingly recommends that the proposition be rejected.