Just saw this on Channel Television:
Jersey's States have approved the Hopkins Masterplan to develop the Esplanade Quarter. The multi-million pound plan will see the underpass buried, offices and flats built on the site, and three public squares created. It's expected to take between seven and ten years to complete. Members approved the scheme late this afternoon by 40 votes to 6. Earlier in the day critics had tried to stall the plan by asking for a reference back. They wanted more information. But that move was defeated. Detractors fear there'll be traffic chaos for years to come, and the cost of treating the contaminated soil that'll have to be excavated will run into millions of pounds.
A few comments on the proposition.
Dictatorial powers are being used again, to use compulsory purchase if the States don't get their own way.
To approve the acquisition on behalf of the Public of the leasehold interest in an area of land which is held by AXA Sun Life Plc. situated at the rear of the Leisure Centre complex which forms part of the site of the Esplanade Quarter....to agree that, if it is not possible to agree with AXA Sun Life Plc. that it should sell its interest in the land referred to in sub-paragraph (b) above at a fair and proper price, the Minister for Planning and Environment should be empowered in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 119 of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 to acquire such interest in land and any other interest therein by compulsory purchase on behalf of the Public in accordance with the provisions of the Compulsory Purchase of Land (Procedure) (Jersey) Law 1961,
They don't like Guy de Faye giving a blank cheque to developers for digging up property for drainage, but they do approve compulsory purchase for grand "masterplans".
Hopkins Architects Limited is one of the top architectural practices in Europe and has won many international accolades for its pioneering, often complex, high quality projects.
Let us not forget the Hastings Plaza project, where Hopkins were sent back to the drawing board
"We know this site must be developed, but to do so in a way that so blatantly… breaks fundamental urban design best practice, and fails to make even the simplest of contextual references, is not only grossly irresponsible but sets the poorest of precedents for private developers to follow."
"An early design which appeared confident, sensitive and restrained has become crowded as the promise of interesting forms in individual buildings is overwhelmed by the presence of an oversized car park and a reduction of the public space."
It will be interesting to see if the Masterplan fulfils its glossy brochure, or if the design will end up "crowded".
The Masterplan includes high quality office space for Jersey's thriving business community. Office space of the floor plate size and quality envisaged by the Masterplan is currently scarce in the Island despite there being demand for space of this type from a number of the largest financial and professional services operations in Jersey.
There is large office space, recently built (i.e. in the last 10 years) by Green Street Car park which is largely empty. And I am sure there are others. This is special pleading.
During the development there will principally be 2 phases of temporary traffic management. The first phase will cause little or no disruption to the flow of existing traffic and will be in place for approximately 2¼ years. The second phase will be more disruptive but will only be in place for the remaining 9 months of road construction. Whilst the second phase will disrupt road users, it is envisaged that the actual delay to journey times will only be a matter of minutes.
Note this very carefully!!! Although the whole building work will take 7 to 10 years, we are told that there will be no disruption for about 2 years, and then we will only have 9 months disruption. That should take us up to the next election!
The estimated long-term annual cost of maintaining and servicing the tunnel is £500,000 per annum. This cost consists of 2 main elements: (i) the cost of electricity to power lighting and ventilation; and (ii) the cost of maintaining the fabric of the tunnel (including maintenance and replacement of ventilation plant, lighting, signage, cleaning and maintaining the roadway).
Obviously a "green" environmentally friendly solution! At least they are addressing the problem of air quality, but that costs electricity and with rising energy costs, I am not convinced that £500,000 will prove sufficient. No doubt they'll slip the increase by later.
Notice that nothing at all is said about flooding prevention, which I suspect will incur extra costs.
The cost of maintaining the fabric of the tunnel and providing power will be met (as usual) by the Department for Transport and Technical Services. It should be noted that at present the Department has not been allocated a budget from which to fund this ongoing obligation.
That is good planning from the planning department! Well, some of that could always come from school milk being scrapped, and for the rest, let us increase GST?
The Esplanade Quarter is expected to take approximately 7 (not more than 10) years to complete.
I like the "three year" leeway on the timing!
A table of the votes is given below.
| POUR: 40 CONTRE: 6 ILL: 1 EN DEFAUT: 3 NOT PRESENT: 3 | |||
| CONTRE | POUR | MISSING | |
| Senator Stuart Syvret | 1 | ||
| Senator Leonard Norman | 1 | ||
| Senator Frank Harrison Walker | 1 | ||
| Senator Wendy Kinnard | 1 | ||
| Senator Terence Augustine Le Sueur | 1 | ||
| Senator Paul Francis Routier | 1 | ||
| Senator Michael Edward Vibert | 1 | ||
| Senator Philip Francis Cyril Ozouf | 1 | ||
| Senator Terence John Le Main | 1 | ||
| Senator Ben Edward Shenton | 1 | ||
| Senator Frederick Ellyer Cohen | 1 | ||
| Senator James Leslie Perchard | 1 | ||
| Connétable Kenneth Priaulx Vibert | 1 | ||
| Connétable Kenneth Alan Le Brun | 1 | ||
| Connétable Thomas John du Feu | 1 | ||
| Connétable Derek Frederick Gray | 1 | ||
| Connétable Alan Simon Crowcroft | 1 | ||
| Connétable John Le Sueur Gallichan | 1 | ||
| Connétable Geoffrey William Fisher | 1 | ||
| Connétable Daniel Joseph Murphy | 1 | ||
| Connétable Michael Keith Jackson | 1 | ||
| Connétable Silvanus Arthur Yates | 1 | ||
| Connétable Graeme Frank Butcher | 1 | ||
| Connétable Peter Frederick Maurice Hanning | 1 | ||
| Deputy Robert Charles Duhamel | 1 | ||
| Deputy Alan Breckon | 1 | ||
| Deputy Jacqueline Jeannette Huet | 1 | ||
| Deputy Frederick John Hill, B.E.M. | 1 | ||
| Deputy Gerard Clifford Lemmens Baudains | 1 | ||
| Deputy Peter Nicholas Troy | 1 | ||
| Deputy Celia Joyce Scott Warren | 1 | ||
| Deputy Roy George Le Hérissier | 1 | ||
| Deputy John Benjamin Fox | 1 | ||
| Deputy Judith Ann Martin | 1 | ||
| Deputy Geoffrey Peter Southern | 1 | ||
| Deputy Sarah Craig Ferguson | 1 | ||
| Deputy James Gordon Reed | 1 | ||
| Deputy Patrick John Dennis Ryan | 1 | ||
| Deputy Carolyn Fiona Labey | 1 | ||
| Deputy Collin Hedley Egré | 1 | ||
| Deputy Jacqueline Ann Hilton | 1 | ||
| Deputy Guy William John de Faye | 1 | ||
| Deputy Paul Vincent Francis Le Claire | 1 | ||
| Deputy John Alexandre Nicholas Le Fondré | 1 | ||
| Deputy Deidre Wendy Mezbourian | 1 | ||
| Deputy Anne Enid Pryke | 1 | ||
| Deputy Sean Power | 1 | ||
| Deputy Shona Pitman | 1 | ||
| Deputy Alan John Henry Maclean | 1 | ||
| Deputy Kevin Charles Lewis | 1 | ||
| Deputy Andrew David Lewis | 1 | ||
| Deputy Ian Joseph Gorst | |||
| Deputy Juliette Gallichan | 1 | ||
| 6 | 40 | 6 |
Hopkin's plans slammed
http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=3047757
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