PARISHIONERS have overwhelmingly rejected the £2.5m. project for a new constables’ office at Les Cotils.
Nearly 300 electors and ratepayers filled the Beau Sejour theatre last night.
It took 20 minutes for islanders to queue to enter and the meeting was delayed by half an hour while voters signed in.
The audience fired two hours of questions about the scheme at the douzaine and constables before rejecting it in a secret ballot.
Former deputy Roy Bisson had led a campaign against the project. He said the result was not a victory.
‘People have had the chance to correct the error made in 2005 with these plans, and the constables can now redirect their aims so they can proceed.’
Senior constable Jenny Tasker said she was sad that the constables’ staff would have to continue working in poor conditions.
‘It is a great pity that people haven’t looked at the bigger picture and seen how this new facility could have benefited the parish.’
But many islanders who attended the meeting felt differently, and rejected the project for a variety of reasons.
Trust worker Scott De Carteret, 27, said he felt it was not the right time for such a scheme.
‘I don’t see why the douzaine are spending so much money in this economic climate. I felt very strongly about this.’
Writer Molly Bihet, 77, was very concerned about transport to the proposed site.
‘I’m against them moving away from the centre of town,’ she said.
‘There are very few bus services to the proposed site. The current building is lovely and people can just pop in.’
Builder Joe Mooney, 50, also voted against the project.
‘So much has taken place without public knowledge,’ he said.
‘The constables really need to look at refurbishing the current offices.’
Junior constable Barry Cash was disappointed with the decision, but said it was ‘the will of the people’.
‘So many people have done so much work on this project and I’m disappointed for them.’
Contrary to his previous statement, Mr Cash said parishioners would get back the £250,000, which was ring-fenced for the project at the last meeting, as part of a rebate next year.
Now the douzaine will look to the future.
‘We’d love to refurbish the Lefebvre Street building, but we don’t know if we will be allowed to make it suitable for the 21st-century,’ said Mr Cash.
‘But this is the challenge the parish has set us.’
He said the douzaine would now enter into discussions with the Environment Department about how the building could be modernised.
- Of the 252 votes cast, 39 voted for the move, 212 against it. There was one spoiled paper.
Article posted on 30th June, 2009 - 11.30am
18 Article Comments
Jenny Tasker feels that ratepayers should have looked at the big picture.
Well Mrs Tasker, that’s exactly what they have done, and rejected your expensive and expansive plans.
252 to 39 is one hell of a vote of no confidence in the proposals
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Jenny Tasker, one of the deputies who voted to close primary schools to save money!
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I am glad the vote was so obviously against the idea, maybe there will be some sense and this will be listened too.
I am all for make do and mend, the States should at every opportunity be supporting this approach.
Set an example and perhaps in general people may follow the lead and there may be less waste too.
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Perhaps someone could donate a fan if the Constables are too hot! Then they might come up with some sensible ideas for my money!
Seriously though, how much money has already been wasted on getting the plans etc for the new building?
Who decided that they should get the plans in the first place? I don’t remember that public debate.
Will I get a rebate now that the plans have been rejected? Very unlikely!
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It’s good that common sense prevailed. I’m sure the somewhat simple mud-slingers that left abusive comments on the last article on this subject will be fuming, which is makes the result all the sweeter.
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Good to see a big turnout on this.
Can anyone explain why these meetings have to have religious undertones?
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Indeed James Walker. It seemed a bit unecessary to revert to abuse and attempt to undermine someone based on their success or otherwise in parish elections.
The electors and ratepayers of St Peter Port were unequivocal and Mr Bisson, love him or hate him, was on the button.
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James Walker & Maria, perhaps you should take more of an interest in your parish affairs and the community you live in. I bet neither of you have ever been into the constables office and seen the 18th century working conditions the staff are working under. Oh and by the way James, one is sure that those mud slingers you refer too were of course right in their opinions if they have upset you then I am sure you can cry on Roy Bissons shoulder………no one else will……
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Stalin,
I popped into the constables office to see the ‘18th century conditions’ you described. Nobody was using quill pens and parchments. Most disappointing!
In fact, all they seemed to be doing was making do with an office space in an old building like many of us in the private sector have to…
Let’s keep it real here. We are in a serious recession, people are losing their jobs (yes, even in Guernsey) and there are concerns about how the island as a whole is going to make ends meet. Against that backdrop it is entirely understandable that spending several million pounds on a new Constables office is not high up on most people’s priority lists.
What is not so easy to understand is how people in public service can be so out of touch with the current economic climate and their parishioner’s feelings that they thought this was a good idea?
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stalin,
You are right I have not been in the constables offices, and I am sure most of the rates payers haven’t either. That doesn’t mean that I can not comment on proposals on how to spend my hard earned money!
My main contention is that I have seen nothing from the constables detailing what exactly is wrong with their building and why a new one is the best option. I have looked on their website…not a mention. It seems to me that we were suddenly told “lets have a new building oh and its going to cost £2.5m and as a ratepayer you can fund it”.
i think that the constables should have set out what the issues were with the current building, and then set out the options that are available. They should then have sent a copy of that to every one in St Peter Port or published it in the Press..
It may be that St Peter Port could do with a community building like the one build in St Martin’s, which is multifunctional.
What is needed is open discussion, and thats what was missing and thats what got everyone angry.
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I must agree with Maria:
these people think they can do exactly as they wish. For more nyears than I care to think of they have managed in their present office building.
But hey wait a bit, that other lot got a new building when they knocked down the old prison, so we also want a new one-
And the Cotills sounded good to them; away from almost prying eyes, laze away in the sun on the lovely grass lawns. beautiful view of the Islands and the harbour. yeah right.
Well done ratepayers, keep ‘em on the run.
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Maria,you raise some very good points. However,with a project the size of Les Cotils, when is it a good time to move forwards. The irony is that PSD have up to now spent 1 mill on consultants on the way forwards with regards the airport project. I don’t see any moaning from any posters here. How many thousands and thousands of tax payer’s pounds have been wasted in tendering for the incinerator with a percentage of this tax payers money being given by the rate payers/electorates from St Peter Port. I bet St PP could have built 4 new Constables offices 50 loos, a brand spanking new building for the neglected elderly in the island all with the money that’s been wasted by PSD…perspective is the key word here not crucifixion..
Lets hope that local parishioners will take more of an interest in their parish and attend the parish meetings with more grounded locals putting their names forward for Douzenier when a vacancy comes up.
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Maria,
I understand the St Martins Centre is not a parish building but was built by private investors. Their objective is to let it out at a profit, it appears often to States departments, so we are all paying for it indirectly.Just use the car park for 5 mins you will soon have a fine slapped on your screen.The St Martins constables/douzaine are still in the old building, so lets not encourage St Peter Port to sell-out assets to the private sector in the same way.This isn’t England yet.
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I thought that St Martins Centre was owned by the parish, at least that was the impression given when they came around asking St Martins residents to donate money towards equipping the centre and gardens. I certainly would not have donated if I had known it was for the benefit of Individuals.
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Constables office and Runway are hardly in the same category. A runway is pretty essential to the island I would say!
there are so many other things this money could be spent on…. if we had it to spend !!
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I have gone into the constables offices on a number of occasions and yes it needs some modernisation but is ideally located. Everyone seems to be jumping on the bandwagon to keep spending and each time a new building, new location. If you looked at the plans for the new building only a samll area was actually for the Constables anyway.
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some interesting questions here ,
lets start with Maria , who decided to build a new constables office? answer , you did when you did not attend the parish meeting when we voted on it , i was there and the majority of us were in favor its called democracy that was the same time we had the open discussion that you would have liked , and the information regarding why we need new premises , so that we can have more than just offices , and have some sort of community building like St Martins , so all of this cost has been caused by all of the parishioners who could not be bothered to attend 2 parish meetings a year ,if they had attended sooner it would not have got this far , as for sending the information out to every one , this had to be done in the end (despite every thing being on display at the consables office , it seems people found it to hard to get into town to see it,)and the work load was such that the constables office had to close , how much staff time should we waste keeping parishioners who dont seem interested informed
Bingo jane asks about the lords prayer all parish and douzaine meetings start with the lords prayer
L eree lad asks about the cost,and there seems to have been a lot of dis information about the cost , it was costing me an extra 10 pounds on my parish rates i call that a bargain , one thing that seems to have been missed is that as of recently the st peterport ratepayers were paying £200,000 a year for the work on the town church and there was no outcry over that, this proposal would have seen £250,000 a year taken from the rates,but tat was obviously not on
still as Stalin says lets hope we have hundreds of people at the next meeting
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Thank you, nigel weysom, but just because all parishes start off with a group recitation, regardless of the parishioners’ religiosity, doesn’t really answer my question.
Some people are extremely turned off by it. It is, in effect, contra-indicatory to the democratic process because it implies that you have to be of a certain way of thinking to feel included.
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