This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
DISUSED FORT or part of Jersey life? by PAUL MUNDY, CEO, 20/20 MAGAZINE T


he roof may leak over the gym and the old cable car station is in urgent need of knocking down , but optimists see a world of opportunity up at Fort Regent. Given the right type and scale of investment, the under- utilised leisure centre and its wider three acre site could help provide a significant medium term boost to the economy and provide a valuable combination of residential and recreational space on a prime site overlooking St Helier.


One option could involve all of the existing sporting and cultural facilities being maintained within the existing Fort, still leaving room to develop a new hotel or commercial activities on the site of the derelict swimming pool. Any hotel


or other commercial facility could be run in conjunction with a new conference centre or sports facilities nearby, and with other new all-weather attractions within the Fort that could make a considerable contribution to the long-held aim of extending the Island's tourism season.


There are many hurdles to overcome before any of these opportunities can be realised however, including numerous planning laws and other restrictions which make the site challenging and expensive to develop. The rewards however could be significant including the most obvious one of preventing an important highly visible and much loved part of St Helier, falling into yet further decay. Money will soon have to be spent


in any case on maintaining the fabric of the existing building, so a larger scale development and investment could better benefit both the community and the economy if appropriate investment partners can be identified.


The existing Island Plan requires the architectural and historic character of the Fort to be preserved and protected, but there are opportunities for it to be enhanced and made even more interesting to residents and casual visitors alike. It is a protected historic site, and any development has to take that into account providing significant challenges for any future developer and planners. If however they get it right, it could have the potential to create a


Page 92


20/20 - The Island


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116