PUBLIC Services was aware of plans to build a new Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club headquarters on the Crown Pier. Its minister, Bill Bell, admitted yesterday it had agreed in principle in April last year to the construction of a modest one-storey building in the area where the current public toilets are.

No correspondence on the matter had been exchanged for some 18 months and he had thought the club had scrapped its plans.

‘When I saw the montage in last Saturday’s Guernsey Press, I didn’t relate it to this,’ he said.

‘It was only when I did some homework that I realised what had happened.’

Deputy Bell said the confusion had resulted from the length of time between correspondence and the difference between the original sketch plans and the montage.

He said he had written to RCIYC commodore Matthew Henry to apologise for the misunderstanding.

Mr Henry said the last thing that the club had wanted to do was to cause any uproar.

‘The club followed the correct procedure for investigating a small development on the Careening Hard, gaining the necessary permissions to do so,’ he said.

Earlier this week both Public Services and Treasury and Resources said they knew nothing of the RCIYC plans.

Deputy Bell said he had been unable to speak to harbour master Captain Peter Gill, who was on leave, and the department’s chief officer had changed since the original correspondence.

As a result he had given the wrong information.

Developer Ironbridge Estates is sponsoring a competition to design a landmark building on the site for the club after Environment planners said it would need to have the ‘wow’ factor.

Deputy Bell said his department would be strongly opposed to any construction like the one that featured in the Guernsey Press montage.

It had made it clear to the RCIYC that giving it permission to speak to the planners did not constitute permission to build.

‘We would be very unhappy if anything like that montage was proposed for that site and we maintain that it should be a single-storey building that does not encroach on the Careening Hard,’ he said.