Constables ‘are in for a shock’
Monday 22nd June 2009, 1:00PM BST.
Roy Bisson, the spokesman for the objectors’ group, outside the Lefebvre Street office, holding plans for the new building at Les Cotils. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 0792205)
PLANS to spend more than £2m. on a new constables’ office for St Peter Port face high-level opposition.
Former chief minister Laurie Morgan, Brett Allen, of Markets developer McAulay, former MP Brian Walden, former finance company managing director Carol Goodwin and insurance consultant Callum Beaton are among those urging the constables to think again.
They plan to challenge the parish authorities at a special meeting next Monday when they will attempt to force a more detailed examination of the £2.5m. project.
And they are also angry that no attempt has been made to modify the existing, historic office in the heart of St Peter Port.
Former deputy Roy Bisson, the group’s spokesman, said there was no shortage of support for the campaign.
‘We all agree that the actions taken by the constables and the douzaine were inappropriate at this time of financial stress. We could have had hundreds of people signing this letter.’
One of the main issues the group want the constables to look at is whether the current building could be adapted.
‘We are all unconvinced that 90% of the jobs done by the constables could not be carried out in the current building,’ said Mr Bisson.
He was keen that an independent working group be established to examine the arguments for and against moving.
‘The current building is wonderful,’ said Mr Bisson.
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Well done Mr Bisson, more ratepayers money wasted on an independant working group.
Why not speak to the Constables beforehand, you might find things are not as bad as you think.
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I’m starting to get very uneasy about the level of power these constables have (refer recent recycling collection story too, where ‘money was not the issue’)
So, Guernsey Press, how about stepping up and researching / publishing an expose on the role of constable, so we know exactly what they have influence over and how they are overseen / funded?
Would make fascinating reading. Perhaps model it on the Telegraphs revelations of MP expenses in the UK, seems a similar topic from where I’m standing.
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Andrew, please don’t judge us all by your own standards. Many of us work without charge for the benefit of the community and enjoy doing so. That includes Constables and Douzeniers.
Our proposed review would cost nothing and may save millions of ratepayers money. It may save 4 years of the 60% rate increase.
We just seek to understand the reasoning behind the proposals and to see if another, more economical way is possible.
Come to the meeting next Monday and make your point to a larger audience.
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It’s well understood that Douzeniers and the Constables conduct stoic services for our parishes on a voluntary basis, the only paid process is administration staff. As far as I’m aware Mr Bisson’s proposal to set up a working party would also be voluntary.
There are a couple of questions that about the process of and principal that require some scrutiny.
– Is the argument of toilets, lack of parking and disabled access really insurmountable?
– Should ratepayers be paying for a new build on a site they will never own?
I understand that the St Peter Port Constables rationale that they can’t have a public meeting, open to non-parishioners, but the reality is that a 60% hike in rates is eye wateringly high and will have an impact on the island’s inflation. Without a doubt these charges will be passed on to tenants business owners and inevitably the consumer.
What should concern us (and I’m unsure if this is a criticism of voter apathy or power invested in the Constables Office), is how this so nearly breezed through the agenda.
Had it not been for the Guernsey Press, possibly the Thisisguernsey contributors picking this up and now Roy Bisson’s work, we would have an historical building on the market, a 60% increase in the SPP rates and all of this voted in percentage terms, very few parishioners and Islanders.
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I certainly will see you there Roy Bisson and look forward to hearing your reasoned arguement.
I am a St Peter Port rate payer and having read the Constables proposals, and having spoken to them at length, agree wholeheartedly with their future plans.
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Go for it, Roy. After all Flouquet is going to save us all a few pennies with his well advised schemes, good to see you following in his footsteps as all good supporters of post modern humour ought to.
Any chance you can have a word in his shell-like to do yet MORE good for the island? If, of course, he couldn’t get any better.
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A brief search for Russels Day Centre on Google brings up some interesting results
It would appear that HSSD lease the Russels from Les Cotils. It’s in one of their documents as a leased property:
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:2OdtsF-ItpoJ:www.gov.gg/ccm/cms-service/download/asset/%3Fasset_id%3D7280029+hssd+russells+day+centre&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
The Russles Day Centre is currently used for a lot of charitable work; I’m assuming that will continue.
A questions to add to the working party is what is the extent of the HSSD lease and will they continue? Prima facie would suggest that the St Peter Port ratepayers are being asked to fund a building that will be used by a government department.
If so why are the St Peter Port ratepayers being, effectively, asked to fund something that benefits the whole island?
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Well said Bingo-Jane. Go for it Roy.
lets hope its as successful as your political career
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Andrew
At least Roy Bisson is trying to save taxpayers money.
No need for the snide remark in your 3.45pm post of 23 June.
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snide?
that depends on your view of things.
i support our Constables, they have put alot of thought to this thing
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Roy, you are an antagonist rather then a pragmatist. You are of course laying out your table for the 2012 General election and are using this issue to get some blinkered followers behind you.
Lee, get in the real world. How dare you compare the Constable/Douzenier to those corrupt English MP’s? May I suggest that you pop along to your parish offices and see the sterling work done by all of our constables/Douzeniers, this may turn you away from being a Bisson disciple.
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Loosely the project is divided almost 50% between Constables and Russell’s Day Centre. Very rough maths would conclude that the Russell’s Day Centre portion of this development is around £1.25 million. If I were investing in a commercial property, the returns would be around 5%. The rental on £1.25million would be around £60,000 per annum.
Looking at the Appendix it appears there is a £25,000 per year commitment from HSSD for future rents. If my landlord wanted to build us some swanky new offices and charge us exactly the same rent, I think we would bite their hands off!
This is not a criticism of HSSD.
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What is it with Guernsey citizens that seem to think there’s an endless supply of funds for totally over-specified projects? There’s obviously a need here for an improved facility but £2.5m is huge chunk of public funds and it’d be niaive to imagine that this kind of investment (and it’s associated rate rise) would simply slip under the radar.
Not everyone seems to agree with the likes of Roy Bisson / Rupert Dorey but I’m grateful that someone out there can be bothered to ask the questions, even if the answer remains the same. Government and the civil service will always come under scrutiny from the tax-paying public, it’s an essential part of the process and one which serves the public well.
It’ll be an interesting meeting tonight and I’m pretty sure the room will be full of people keen to know what could possibly justify this kind of expense in the current climate, and whether all other options were exhausted before this one was chosen.
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