Les Quennevais Parade and Precinct

STATES OF JERSEY

LES QUENNEVAIS PARADE AND PRECINCT

Lodged au Greffe on 5th September 2025 by Deputy H.M. Miles of St. Brelade

Earliest date for debate: 30th September 2025

STATES GREFFE

2025  P.67

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

1. to extend the Future-Fit Retail Roadmap to specifically include the regeneration of Les Quennevais as the Island's second retail hub and to request the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development to undertake the necessary steps to give effect to this decision by 31 December 2025;
2. to extend the scope of the  West of Island Planning  Framework and area masterplans, as approved within the Bridging Island Plan, to include a detailed scheme of regeneration for Les Quennevais Parade and Precinct and to request the Minister for the Environment to undertake the necessary steps to give effect to this decision by the end of March 2026; and
3. that  the  regeneration  of  Les  Quennevais  Parade  and  Precinct  should  be considered as a standing item at meetings of the Regeneration Steering Group, with consideration to be given to options which would enhance this area for the benefit of the public and its residents, including but not limited to the potential acquisition and redevelopment by the States of Jersey Development Company of all the commercial units and to request the Chief Minister to update the standing agenda for all meetings accordingly with immediate effect.

DEPUTY H.M. MILES OF ST. BRELADE

REPORT

Les Quennevais is a growing and bustling part of the island, with a strong sense of community and a range of activities taking place. As a long-term resident of Vingtaine des Quennevais, and now a Parish Deputy , I very much enjoy living here and am aware of the many advantages it offers. As with any community, however, improvements are always possible and necessary.

The growth of Les Quennevais as an area inevitably requires additional community amenities – be they public or private led – to keep pace with these changes. We can see positive examples around us, perhaps most notably the Enid Quenault Health and Wellbeing  Centre,  and  the  new  Les  Quennevais  school.  We  have  also  seen  new businesses starting up at Les Quennevais and Red Houses, and a number of long-term businesses  which  are  cornerstones  of  the  community,  and  that  is  similarly  to  be welcomed.

One area though which is becoming increasingly notable for not keeping pace with the changes in the wider Les Quennevais area, indeed it seems with changes anywhere in the island, is the Les Quennevais parade and precinct. This area has long been described as looking tired, but as the years pass by that is becoming an increasingly generous description. The parade and precinct are now in a very poor state and are showing the effects of years of neglect from a seemingly disinterested commercial landlord and beneficial owner. This is having an increasingly negative effect on the area, and the people living here, and efforts must be made to address it.

I wish to be clear that this proposition makes no criticism at all the businesses and residents operating and living in the parade and precinct. They are being let down just as much as anyone else. Indeed, it is the residents (many of whom are homeowners) and businesses who provide hope for the future, given the care they have for the area and their determination to deliver change and improvements. A proactive landlord working with businesses and residents, supported by the Parish and Government, is the recipe needed to deliver those improvements. I have engaged with residents and businesses living and operating in the precinct, and they must continue to be at the centre of discussions as we move forward.

I stood on a manifesto commitment to reinvigorate the parade and precinct, and this was undoubtedly an issue which chimed with parishioners in St Brelade. In the past three years, I have tried continuously to deliver improvements – be it ensuring that the paving is repaired and safe, installing flower beds to add some colour, bike racks to support sustainable transport and footfall, and community art schemes to make the parade and precinct more attractive. I would still like to see one of the various empty retail units be used as a parish and government hub for local services (a need that has arguably been increased  following  the  closure  of  Lloyds  bank).  In  all  these  respects,  I  have unfortunately found myself banging my head against the proverbial brick wall, and I have to regrettably admit that very little progress has been made so far. It is not for the want of trying and it is important that we do not give up.

I recognise that the primary issue in respect of the commercial retail hub is that this area is privately owned. However, we can't allow that to be a definitive block on progress in an area of such public importance. If we show a collective interest, care, and focus, then change is achievable. Les Quennevais is a large and growing suburban population area

and retail centre, and current policy is to continue that growth trend. This now needs to be reflected in wider strategies, policy, and action.

That is the purpose of this proposition – to put what has become a forgotten and neglected part of the island back at the centre of our attention and focus and make Les Quennevais a key part of the discussions that are happening now for island regeneration.

This proposition is presented in three separate, yet interconnected parts

(a)  The Future-Fit Retail Roadmap

The intention of  the  Future-Fit Retail Roadmap is to re-imagine purpose and embrace opportunity. The mission is to nurture a strong retail economy, fit for the future, fostering prosperity through vibrancy, productivity and a customer- led approach.

This part of the proposition is therefore a simple request – that the regeneration of Les Quennevais should be included in this Roadmap.

My intention is for this proposition to be positive and forward looking, although the absence of any mention of Les Quennevais in the retail strategy rather sums up my earlier points in this report. It is a forgotten area.

The continual neglect of Les Quennevais as a retail hub goes against so many other government priorities – it forces more people to take journeys into town that would otherwise be unnecessary, it pushes people towards shopping online, and it reduces community engagement.

I am also conscious, and it has been mentioned to me several times, that the No.15 airport bus route runs straight past the parade and precinct. For a visitor to Jersey, and especially a first-time visitor, the state the area has reached is not the initial impression of the island we should be looking to give.

2. The West of Island Planning Framework and area masterplans

The Bridging Island Plan (P.36/2021), as amended, was approved by the States Assembly on the 25th March 2022.

Strategic Proposal 4 compels the Minister for the Environment to bring forward a west of island planning framework. The plan envisages that the framework will precede specific area-based masterplans and suggests that completion should be during  the  bridging  plan  period  up  to  2025.  The  previous  Minister  for  the Environment had included work on Les Quennevais in his Ministerial plan.

Despite constant pressure on the Minister for the Environment to prioritise this work, delivery of the Framework has been delayed and there is no progress towards area masterplans.

During  the  2025  Government  Plan  debate  in  November  2024,  I  successfully amended the budget – with the eventual support of the Council of Ministers - to

include the sum of £100,000 to prioritise the West of Island Planning Framework. Yet this commitment has not been delivered upon.

This is a situation that is entirely of the Government's own making. When asked specifically about the delay to the West of Island Planning Framework, the Minister said

I do not think it will come as a surprise to Members of the Assembly that the consultancy freeze has affected my department quite significantly. We had a number of very large projects on the go; all involved consultants at the time, but this Government is committed to try to reduce expenditure and the decision was taken that we would not continue with consultants. That then meant that officers within the department had to take over the responsibility for that work. That meant that other pieces of work that they may well have been doing at the time they had to cope with at the same time. So things have slowed down, there is no doubt about that. We are looking at every post, we are trying to save money, and we just have to accept the fact that when you do things like stop using consultants the amount of work you can get through in a specific amount of time is reduced, and in some cases significantly reduced.'

As a result, there are a growing number of challenges to be addressed, many of which I have already mentioned. The lack of investment in the ageing Les Quennevais Parade and  Precinct  is  now  such  that  retail  services  are  visibly  dwindling,  with  empty commercial units some of which are in such poor condition that they are effectively unlettable'.  

There are currently eight vacant units, some of which have been empty for years. It is clear that action, and indeed a degree of intervention, is needed if we are to see some positive change.

3. Regeneration Steering Group

This proposition asks that the regeneration of Les Quennevais Parade and Precinct be considered as a standing item at meetings of the Regeneration Steering Group. This group  was  established  to  improve  the  governance,  coordination,  and  delivery  of improvements  in  Jersey's  built  environment,  including  amenities,  recognising  the importance of this for the quality of life for islanders.

At Les Quennevais, we have lost banks, the school uniform shop, the dog groomer, the perfumery, a hair and beauty salon, the numberplate shop, the surf shop, a bookmakers, and many other small shops that provided essential services used by lots of islanders, not just St Brelade residents.

We are faced with ageing buildings, and a complex ownership structure that is affecting sales and lettings. Effort is needed on the part of the Government to engage with residents and businesses and to understand the complex ownership situation in order to make improvements to the area. Matters relating to commercial tenancies are addressed in P.682025 which is therefore indirectly related to delivering the improvements that are sought through this proposition.

As with part a) – this is a simple request – that the regeneration of Les Quennevais Parade and Precinct be considered as a standing item to maintain focus on a complex problem.

The Bridging Island Plan made Les Quennevais the secondary urban centre, putting new and increased pressures on the area, but in the time since it has not received the attention that is required when it comes to enhancing/improving the west for the growing number of people who live here and the increasing number of people who are now coming here to receive services.

If adopted, this proposition will communicate a commitment to sustainability and growth  which  could  attract,  rather  than  repel,  investment.  It  will  signal  that  Les Quennevais is a retail area that the government cares about and which is now on the up. The involvement of the States of Jersey Development Company may assist in this regard. The SOJDC has an objective to undertake regeneration and strategic property development in order to deliver a financial, social and environmental contribution to the Island and Islanders. That objective applies equally in St Brelade as indeed it does anywhere else in the island.

Conclusion

I appreciate that careful consideration of the opportunities to regenerate this part of Les Quennevais is needed. This proposition enables that process. It does not take knee-jerk decisions but instead takes the first step towards the action that is clearly required. The proposition aims to enable a timely and strategic initiative that could deliver tangible and long-term benefits for the Island. This is certainly not a short-term fix'- it is a matter that requires innovation, creativity and long-term planning, in consultation with the public.

By adopting this proposition, I hope the Assembly will affirm its commitment to balanced development, community wellbeing, and economic sustainability across a broader area of our island than is currently the case.

Financial and staffing implications

Extending the Future-Fit Retail Roadmap and the change of agenda to the Regeneration Steering Group Ministerial Group will involve Officer resources which should be met from within existing resources allocated to both.

In  respect  of  part  (b),  the  Second  Amendment  to  P.51/2024  -  Proposed  Budget (Government Plan) 2025-2028 (P.51/2024 Amd.(2)) - was successful. The funding to develop the West of Island Planning Framework is therefore already available. The work has not yet commenced and should therefore be able to incorporate the requests made in this proposition, should it be adopted.

Children's Rights Impact Assessment

A Children's Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) has been prepared in relation to this proposition and is available to read on the States Assembly website.

Addendum

Photographs of existing vacant units and condition of Les Quennevais Precinct and Parade September 2025