Guernsey university plans scrapped

The committee said it had carefully considered a feasibility report into a university

Politicians have scrapped the idea of building a £100m university in Guernsey.

The Economic Development Committee said it was "not in the business of gambling with tax payers' money".

The committee said it had "carefully considered" a feasibility report "to identify the potential costs and benefits of the project".

But members "decided that there was no case to take the project forward" and it would not pursue it any further.

"Although the report identified potential economic benefits the project would also require considerable capital investment from the States of Guernsey, that risk sitting squarely in the lap of the Guernsey taxpayer," said in a statement..

The plans, which aimed at bringing students to the island, were first suggested in 2013.

President of Economic Development Neil Inder said there was "no guarantee" the £100m capital investment would have resulted in the island setting up a viable university.

He added their first responsibility was to taxpayers and his committee "did not have any confidence" in the claims by consultants who carried out the investigation that the project could pay for itself in eight years.

Deputy Inder said: "It was too small an island, too big an idea and too great a risk."

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