RATEPAYERS will not get their money back, even if the St Peter Port constables’ office plans are rejected tonight, according to junior constable Barry Cash.

Last month, £250,000 was ringfenced for the new property at Les Cotils, but the douzaine decided not to vote on the plans after strong opposition.

This meant parishioners had already paid the first instalment for the £2.5m. scheme, although it had not been approved.

‘It has already been agreed,’ said Mr Cash (pictured). ‘The money could be used instead to move out of the constables’ office into temporary accommodation if we were forced to refurbish it. It will not go up as much as has been portrayed.

‘We worked out it would cost about £8 more per year for the average house with a TRP of 100. This will give us a parochial building that will last for 125 years.’

He admitted businesses had been forced to pay more, but it was hard to compare last year’s rates with this year’s, since the change from the tax on rateable value to the tax on real property system.

‘If we look at this project in isolation, businesses will pay more.’

Last month, the owner’s rate for domestic properties, excluding the refuse rate, went up by 19.9p per unit. Of this, 7.5p goes towards the St Peter Port constables’ office project.