Waterfront Enterprise Board: appointment of States Directors.

STATES OF JERSEY

WATERFRONT ENTERPRISE BOARD: APPOINTMENT OF STATES DIRECTORS

Lodged au Greffe on 10th March 2009 by the Chief Minister

STATES GREFFE

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

( a) to appoint the Connétable of Grouville , the Connétable of St.  Peter and Deputy Edward James

Noel of St. Lawrence as States Directors of the Waterfront Enterprise Board Limited for a period of 3 years expiring on 31st March 2012;

(b ) to request the Greffier of the States to notify the company of the States' decision.

CHIEF MINISTER

REPORT

The States established the Waterfront Enterprise Board (WEB) Limited in 1995 as a separate legal entity to act as a development agency of the States for an initial period of 10  years. This initial period was extended for a further 10  years by the States on 14th September 2005.The WEB Memorandum and Articles of Association provide that, unless and until determined by the company by ordinary resolution, the number of Directors shall be 7, with 3 States Directors, 3 non-States Directors and the Managing Director. All States Directors and non-States Directors are appointed by the States, and the Managing Director is appointed by the Board. The States also appoints the Chairman who must be a non-States Director.

The current States' Directors are Senator P.F. Routier and Mrs J.J. Huet (former Deputy ), who were appointed on 28th March 2006 for a 3 year period expiring on 31st March 2009. There is also one vacancy (following the resignation of Senator J.L. Perchard during 2008). The current non-States Directors are Jurat J.C. Tibbo (Chairman), and Mr. P.J. Crespel, and their terms of office are due to expire on 28th August 2009.

The role of the Waterfront Enterprise Board has been to promote, co-ordinate and implement a comprehensive strategy for the development of the St. Helier Waterfront, with a particular focus on the area known asWest of Albert'. This work is still very much in progress, and it is planned that the majority of the project will be completed by 2011.

Consideration has been given to the possibility of establishing a new development company to act as the lead agency in the development of States property assets. This development company, which has the provisional title of Jersey Development Company (JDC), would subsume WEB and would take on responsibility for future waterfront development and the development of other major assets. The company would work alongside the Property Holdings Department, and in partnership with Planning. It is envisaged that this would create a vehicle to unify the development of all Waterfront assets and improve co-ordination with the wider regeneration of St.  Helier. It would receive and develop major States property assets that have been authorised for redevelopment. More detailed proposals in respect of JDC are currently being developed and will be presented to the States in the form of a report and proposition in the near future.

Unfortunately it has not proved possible to finalise the proposals for the new company sufficiently early to allow the appointment of the new Board to coincide with the end of period of office of the existing States Directors. Therefore in the meantime, and pending a States decision on the formation of such a company, it is necessary to appoint States Directors to WEB on an interim basis to ensure the continued operation of the Board. In accordance with WEB's Memorandum and Articles of Association, these appointments must be made for a period of 3 years. However it is anticipated that these appointments will run for a considerably shorter period. As soon as the States has decided upon the form and structure of the successor to WEB the new Board will be appointed by means of a transparent process overseen by the Appointments Commission.

Connétable Murphy was born in Jersey and educated at Grouville Elementary School and subsequently gained a Scholarship to Victoria College. He has had a career working in Clearing and Merchant banks in Jersey and the U.K. His background also includes being self-employed in the property industry in the U.K., Ireland and the U.S.A.

Connétable Refault was born in Jersey and educated at St.  Peter's Primary School and at Hautlieu. He has had a career in the Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Service and held the position of Chief Fire Officer. Connétable Refault has held a number of honorary positions both within the Parish of St.  Peter and the Island. He is a Graduate of the Institution of Fire Engineers (GIFE) and a Member of the Chartered Management Institute (MCMI).

Deputy Noel was for many years a partner in a well-known local accountancy practice, where he gathered a wealth of practical experience in dealing with structures involving property companies. He is an Assistant Minister to the Minister for Treasury and Resources, who would, under the revised Articles of Association previously lodged in respect of the Waterfront Enterprise Board Limited, have the duty to nominate a representative on the Board of Directors of that company. Notwithstanding that those amended Articles have been withdrawn for revision, there is good reason for having a Treasury representative amongst the members of the

Board of WEB.

Finally, I would like to place on record my thanks to Senator Routier and Mrs.  Huet for their service as Directors of the Board, and I am greatly indebted to them for the contribution that they have made to the development of the St.  Helier Waterfront.

There are no financial or manpower implications arising from this Proposition.