Public in favour of the delisting and demolition of the Odeon
Wednesday 10 November 2010
Following an invitation by the Minister for Planning and Environment, C Le Masurier Limited has now submitted its representation in respect of the arguments for the delisting of the former Odeon cinema building, Bath Street, St Helier.
Le Masuriers submission provides comprehensive evidence of the lack of architectural, historical and cultural interest of the building as well as its deteriorating structural condition and inadequate services. It also provides evidence of Le Masuriers feasibility work in identifying the lack of viable alternative uses and their efforts over many years to retain the building in use.
The report clearly stresses the merits of Le Masuriers alternative proposals together with the significant economic and social implications of designation, which is a major inhibitor to regeneration, restricts substantial private investment and will render ineffective the achievement of a coherent North of St Helier Revised Master Plan.
Part of Le Masuriers submission includes a ‘Public Response Evaluation’. Le Masurier have actively engaged and encouraged public debate over the delisting of the Odeon and have received overwhelming support in favour, with 89% of the public that engaged expressing a majority opinion in favour of the delisting and demolition of the Odeon.
The public have willingly responded in their hundreds through letters to the JEP, postings on social networking and media sites, voting on online polls and commenting on Le Masurier’s dedicated website which has had nearly 2,000 visits and over 8,000 page views since its launch.
Brian Mccarthy, Managing Director, Le Masurier, said:
‘We have submitted a Public Response Evaluation along with our architectural and historical report because we believe that the public response in favour of the delisting of the Odeon cannot be ignored and should be a major factor in the Ministers decision making process over this very sensitive issue.
A number of other influential bodies have also been very vocal in support of our proposals, particularly around the obvious economic stimulus that our investment provides, the provision of construction work which we have committed to be provided by local resources and the public realm improvements that provide a rebalance of town through direct connectivity of the town centre to the Town Park.
We hope that once the Minister has had an opportunity to consider our submission he will agree that we have set out a comprehensive and compelling argument to justify the delisting of the building. Now is the optimum time to consider the social and economic betterment and substantial regeneration that our proposals offer at a time when considerable tax payer’s money has been spent on a Master Plan for the North of St Helier.
A positive decision to delist the building will in turn release substantial private investment from a local Jersey company for the greater economic and social good of the island.’
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