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4.14 Senator S.C. Ferguson of the Minister for Treasury and Resources regarding a new lease for the go-kart club in St. John :
I was going to ask this question of Education as it is both sport and the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture is the Deputy for St. John and therefore he is in an ideal position to facilitate a solution. However, he decided not to deal with it so I am asking the Assistant Minister for Treasury and Resources what action, if any, is being taken to encourage and further the new lease for the go-kart club in St. John ?
Senator P.F.C. Ozouf (The Minister for Treasury and Resources): The Assistant Minister is answering this question.
Deputy E.J. Noel of St. Lawrence (Assistant Minister for Treasury and Resources -
rapporteur):
I would just like to clarify the matter with my own suggestion to the Senator and indeed to my Education, Sport and Culture colleagues that I answer this question as opposed to them because it does fall under Property Holdings in my remit. That being said, at present, the road that is known as the Ronez loop road in St. John is designated as a main road and is in public ownership. For a lease to be granted, the designation must be extinguished. Following consultation with the Parish, we commenced a process with colleagues at T.T.S. in the latter part of 2012. In January 2013, T.T.S. requested the Solicitor General to carry out the necessary steps to apply for a Royal Court order to extinguish the loop road. I am advised that this matter needs to be considered by the Superior Number and a court date has been set for 25th February to consider the extinguishment. If the extinguishment is granted, Property Holdings will prepare the necessary Ministerial decisions under Standing Order 168 to transfer the site to the Parish. On completion, the Parish will be in a position to enter into a lease with the kart club and the transfer of the road will be conditional on the Parish agreeing to go on to a lease to the kart club.
- Senator S.C. Ferguson:
Is the Assistant Minister aware of the undertaking made by the States that when the Bellevue site was compulsorily purchased for housing in 1994 and the kart club thrown out, the States expressed a wish to find a suitable site for the kart club and the Planning Department endeavoured to assist the search and this previous support from the States for the planning application for the loop road is backed up by a high level of support for the planning application. So will the Assistant Minister explain to the Assembly what level of support is being given to the club, given that the discussions with Jersey Property Holdings have been ongoing since 2009, 5 years?
Deputy E.J. Noel:
Of course I am aware of previous commitments given by the States in this matter. We have agreed with the various parties concerned a way forward and we have been acting on that. To extinguish a road, which is what we need to do because the kart club want the certainty and flexibility of having a lease going forward because they want to make some investment on that particular site and to do so they need a lease to do so, means we need to extinguish the road and that takes time and that is going through the proper process through the Law Officers as we speak.
The Connétable of St. John :
I would like to make the questioner and Members aware that the Parish of St. John is interested in negotiating with Property Holdings or are negotiating with Property Holdings in that the Parish will take over the loop road if it is extinguished on the condition that a Parish Assembly is held and the Parishioners wish to do so. I am just informing the Assistant Minister and the Senator.
- Deputy M. Tadier :
Is it anticipated that there will be any money transferring hands for the piece of land in question and if so, what will happen with that sum of money?
Deputy E.J. Noel:
No, there is no anticipation for a sum of money to be charged to the kart club or anybody else. There may be some court stamp duties to be paid because obviously the kart club require a long lease, some 15 years with a potential renewal for a further 15 years, and so if the stamp duty is not waived, there may be a requirement to pay the stamp duty.
- Deputy M. Tadier :
The question was on the understanding that it was being transferred to the Parish not to the kart club and so will there be any cost implication for the Parish is what I am asking essentially and if so, what will happen to that money?
Deputy E.J. Noel:
No, the land will be transferred from the States to the Parish at a nil cost on the condition that the Parish enter into a lease with the kart club to give them the security that they need to be able to operate their sporting activity.