Bay improvement plans put on hold due to cost

Improvement works at St Brelade's Bay is on a list of projects that have been put on hold

Jersey's environment minister has postponed plans to enhance St Brelade's Bay due the length of the project and its cost.

In a letter to a scrutiny panel, Environment Minister Deputy Steve Luce detailed the list of projects that had to be paused or cancelled.

He said the St Brelade scheme would have meant a long period of design and consultation and possibly more debate in the States - meaning it had to be dropped in favour of plans that could be achieved more quickly and cheaply.

Deputy Moz Scott, who has led campaigns to improve the bay, said the postponement was "crushing".

'Everything is important'

Mr Luce said all government departments had to reduce spending and make tough decisions.

"There are things on my list which I would have liked to have done," he said.

"Everything is important... [but] we've only got two years before the next general election and we've got to be realistic.

"Unfortunately, and it is disappointing, we've had to put some pieces of work on the back burner for now while we concentrate on the really important stuff."

The plans have been postponed indefinitely, with the political term ending in 2026.

'Really slow progress'

Ms Scott said she understood the reasons why project could not be delivered during this political term.

"I'm afraid with politics it's a really slow process and it feels like a pushing a boulder up a hill," she said.

Other projects on the list that are on hold for the foreseeable future include work on laws governing nuisance, unlawful public entertainments and pollution from building sites.