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3.15 Deputy J.A. Martin of the Minister for Treasury and Resources regarding the possibility of building Grade A' office space on the Waterfront for the States of Jersey Police:
I am wearing my bulletproof vest for the information of the Minister for Treasury and Resources who has the right hump today. [Laughter] It is another one about the police station. Would the Minister advise whether he has held discussions with the States of Jersey Development Company to explore the possibility of building Grade A' office space on the Waterfront for the States of Jersey Police using the budget already allocated and then refurbishing the operational side at Rouge Bouillon and, if not, why not?
Senator P.F.C. Ozouf (The Minister for Treasury and Resources):
If I am appearing to have got the hump, then I am sorry but on one of the best days I think in Jersey I certainly should not have the hump. I am just perhaps a little tired after a very exhausting week securing funding, et cetera. As the Deputy will no doubt be aware, the detailed planning for the development of the purpose-built police headquarters on La Route du Fort is virtually complete and I expect work to begin on this site within the next 3 months. S.o.J.D.C. was engaged as part of the site option analysis work undertaken in 2011. Specific discussions about providing office space for the police have not been necessary as the Green Street site provides an excellent location for the combined police station and headquarters in a way that a dual site would never have done. The solution meets the current and future requirements of the States of Jersey Police, including specialist facilities, within the one purpose-built building. The police, therefore, do not need Grade A' office space, if I may describe it as such, with such a prime office district in St. Helier on our premium Waterfront. The site to be vacated at Rouge Bouillon is earmarked for the relocation of fire and ambulance services, which in turn will enable the development of 95 units of affordable accommodation on the Summerland site and in the longer term 75 units on the current ambulance site.
- Deputy J.A. Martin:
A supplementary: the Minister is saying no discussions after losing, as it has been portrayed in another question, their anchor tenant? There has been absolutely no discussion that there should be Grade A' office building space on the Waterfront with the capital allocation of around £23 million and the revenue budget supplied? He has had no discussions at all now this site has become available?
Senator P.F.C. Ozouf :
There is approximately 400,000 square feet potentially of sites of Grade A' accommodation on the Waterfront available for growth and financial services. There has been no discussion whatsoever, and neither ought there to be, to put S.O.J.D.C. there. Effectively, that would then go back and have the requirements of the police as twofold. There is an operational police station and an office space, and the whole argument of this is whether or not that should be on one site or 2. We have one single site on Green Street delivering everything the Minister and his department want. They are delighted and that is appropriate. Why undo a plan that is now working, going to deliver fiscal stimulus and what the police want at last?
- Senator S.C. Ferguson:
Why is it appropriate for the police to be all on one site and for the hospital to be on 2 sites? [Laughter]
Senator P.F.C. Ozouf :
Oh dear, oh dear.
The Bailiff :
I think we are straying rather from the question. Senator P.F.C. Ozouf :
I will have a go, Sir. [Laughter]
The Bailiff :
Well, very concisely.
Senator P.F.C. Ozouf :
The hospital is a multimillion - £300 million - plan with multi uses which requires day patient, overnight, accident and emergency, acute, specialist services, and the rest of it. Putting them on a dual site on Overdale and the town centre as opposed to 3 or 4 sites seems to be much better. It would be great if we had a single site but we do not, but it will work on 2 sites very well and everybody is delighted.
- Deputy J.A.N. Le Fondré:
I was not going to join in with this one but the Minister has on a number of occasions, both now and previously, referred to his preference for a single site for the police station. Could he just confirm that the previous acting chief of police was fully supportive of the dual site proposals at the time, which was their preferred option because it gave them better future proofing?
[11:30]
Senator P.F.C. Ozouf :
I do not know everything of what previous police chiefs say. All I know is what our current and very valued and highly respected police chief says, with his deputy, together with the Minister, who says thank goodness we are going to have a single site on a site that is going to work and deliver what our police want instead of an uncertain dual site operation which would have taken years. I think the police chief and the Minister for Home Affairs also share in my delight of the fact that sites at Summerland are going to be released from other uses to delivering affordable housing. That is a win, win, win; win for the police, win for taxpayers in terms of value, and win in terms of affordable housing and not using valuable other sites for States. I do not see why Members, including Deputy Le Fondré, just cannot see it.
The Bailiff :
Very well, you have answered that then, Senator.
- Deputy J.H. Young:
The Minister has told us that as the shareholder of S.o.J.D.C. there have not been discussions about possible alternative public uses in the light of market weakness for Grade A' offices at the moment. He would have heard the Minister for Planning and Environment tell us that he will do the review maybe in 2016. Has S.o.J.D.C. not had discussions with the Regeneration Steering Group, which was the body set up by this House in order to provide a forum for discussions and agreement on these plans?
The Bailiff :
That is your question: have there been such discussions.
Senator P.F.C. Ozouf : On what plan?
Deputy J.H. Young:
The Regeneration Steering Group task was to liaise with S.o.J.D.C. about the development of public sites. Has there not been discussions about this?
Senator P.F.C. Ozouf :
You are really allowing quite a wide deviation. This is about a question to do with S.o.J.D.C. and sites for the police. So the answer to that was no.
The Bailiff :
I am assuming the question is related to whether you have had discussions about the police with this point.
Senator P.F.C. Ozouf :
Yes, well, I have previously said no because a site has been identified and it is well underway.
The Connétable of St. John :
No, I will not. I am sure we will not get an answer so I will not ask the question.
- Deputy J.A. Martin:
It is good to see the Minister for Treasury and Resources so open-minded as the Minister for Planning and Environment, where he can see there is always room for review, especially when dealing with public money. Will he not go away, will he not give us an assurance today that he would even have a discussion with Jersey Development Company about Grade A' office space, that then in years down the line will still be there and they could re-put the police somewhere? Just a comment.
The Bailiff :
No, no comment, just a question, please.
Deputy J.A. Martin:
Well, not all the police are happy. He seemed to get a lot of comments. Thank you. Senator P.F.C. Ozouf :
I am asked some quite wide questions so I have to comment. The answer is no. I think one of the problems in politics is that you have to make a decision at some point and then move on. As far as I am concerned the police have needed a solution; they have got one and to now, even at this late stage, give uncertainty to the police that somehow we are now going to revisit the whole thing when we have got a plan ready to go, that the Minister for Planning and Environment has approved, would be wrong. I am always looking at ways of improving, constantly learning from better decisions being made. But no, we should not go back and now discuss re-relocating the planned police on the Waterfront. It is going to go ahead at Green Street, that is it.