Latest news with #GovernmentofJersey
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Government made losses of £5m running Fort Regent
The Government of Jersey made a loss of £5m running Fort Regent over the past five years, a Freedom of Information request has revealed. Government officials said the losses in running the 19th Century fort and leisure centre on Mont de la Ville in St Helier occurred between 2020 and 2025 and were compounded by the Covid pandemic. There was a period of closures at the fort in the pandemic during which staff were kept on full pay. There are currently plans to close the centre for a £110m redevelopment. Staff costs during the pandemic came to £1.2m per year while income dropped due to discounted memberships and refunds. Officials said the site reopened in 2022 with income rising to more than £1.1m. Staff costs also fell to £702,503 because the opening hours reduced. In 2023 income dropped to £379,058 because gym and fitness services moved to Springfield but the centre still cost the government almost £900,000 in running costs. In 2025 the centre is expected to cost more than £600,000. More news stories for Jersey Listen to the latest news for Jersey Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to New £110m redevelopment plans for Fort Regent Concerns raised over Fort Regent development plans Fort Regent plans backed by entertainment boss Government of Jersey
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Government made losses of £5m running Fort Regent
The Government of Jersey made a loss of £5m running Fort Regent over the past five years, a Freedom of Information request has revealed. Government officials said the losses in running the 19th Century fort and leisure centre on Mont de la Ville in St Helier occurred between 2020 and 2025 and were compounded by the Covid pandemic. There was a period of closures at the fort in the pandemic during which staff were kept on full pay. There are currently plans to close the centre for a £110m redevelopment. Staff costs during the pandemic came to £1.2m per year while income dropped due to discounted memberships and refunds. Officials said the site reopened in 2022 with income rising to more than £1.1m. Staff costs also fell to £702,503 because the opening hours reduced. In 2023 income dropped to £379,058 because gym and fitness services moved to Springfield but the centre still cost the government almost £900,000 in running costs. In 2025 the centre is expected to cost more than £600,000. More news stories for Jersey Listen to the latest news for Jersey Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to New £110m redevelopment plans for Fort Regent Concerns raised over Fort Regent development plans Fort Regent plans backed by entertainment boss Government of Jersey
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Investigation work set to begin on Gorey Pier
"Intrusive" investigation work is set to get under way at a listed pier after cracks were discovered. Ports of Jersey said work would begin at Gorey Pier, St Martin, on Tuesday 27 May, subject to planning permission being granted by the Government of Jersey. A report showed parts of the historic pier were cracked due to a combination of age and the effects of Storm Ciarán in November 2023, with specialist company Terra Firma set to be on site for between four and six weeks. "Every effort will be made to minimise disruption and complete the work before the peak summer season," a Ports of Jersey spokesperson said. "These investigations are essential to gather detailed information on the condition of the pier, which will inform the best method for its stabilisation." A series of trial pits and boreholes would be opened on the pier arm, pier head and the base of the wall on the harbour side but no work would be undertaken along the bulwarks where the restaurants and residences were located, they said. Following this work, planned repairs include replacing the concrete landing deck, reinforcing the western wall, repairing a stress crack in the pier road and demolishing the terminal building. The initial investigations work has been timed to coincide with the upcoming spring tides, when low tide will go down to 1.35m (4.4ft). "The challenges of working in a tidal zone mean we are scheduling the digs at low tide to reduce the risk of sea water filling the holes through the pier," the spokesperson said. They said as the tide comes in, water might need to be pumped out through a filter basket into the harbour. The work is due to involve intermittent access restrictions for vehicles, parking bays and the public. More news stories for Jersey Listen to the latest news for Jersey Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to Permission sought for 'intrusive' work on pier
ITV News
13-05-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Two-thirds of Jersey's schools went overbudget in 2024 with more than £2 million overspent
Newly released figures have revealed that nearly two-thirds of Jersey's government-funded schools went overbudget in 2024, leading to a combined overspend of more than £2 million. It comes as the number of children needing additional support has more than doubled since 2017, with the island's largest teaching union branding the situation "dire" and "unsustainable". Jersey's Education Minister, Deputy Rob Ward, says: "The reason for this is that the need is increasing. "For example, records of needs have gone from 212 in 2017 to over 500 last year and those require support: that support is expensive and we have to spend that money." The data from a Freedom of Information request revealed Grainville Secondary School had the highest overspend of £553,315 in 2024, while Grouville was the highest primary school with a deficit of £262,964. Victoria College went overbudget by £128,867 last year and has sent a letter to parents to notify them about an above-inflation 6.5% increase in fees from the Autumn term. It says the rise is necessary due to staffing expenses and funding for pupils with Special Educational Needs, stating: "These costs are driven in part by an increase in staff costs based on existing delivery models and influenced by Government of Jersey pay agreements; and in part due to an increase in non-pay related costs of running a school. "Grant funding allocation from the Government of Jersey is not sufficient. Essentially, the Government should fund 47% of the average cost of a pupil at another GoJ school – we do not believe this funding model is currently being met. "Funding for some of our pupils with Special Educational Needs is insufficient. Some students have their support prorated to 47% while others receive 100%." Deputy Ward explains the budget overspends will be sorted: "The deficits will be dealt with over the term of the year, that's why those figures which look good in the press are somewhat misleading. "We are doing everything we can, I am an advocate for funding of schools, and we need to look into the future in what way we are going to meet the growing need across our estate. "I would always like to see the budget increased, that's my role, I'd like us to see more opportunity to do the best that we can for every child in this island. "We need an intelligent and informed discussion about funding, rather than conflating lots of different figures, which I think can be quite disappointing for schools when one school is paid off against another, so I'd like that to end and let's have an intelligent conversation." Arguing schools are not prioritised, Marina Mauger from the NASUWT teachers' union says: "I just think that if we are going to truly live on an island that puts children first, then education should get the bulk of funding, not the minority. "The thing that is going wrong is that schools historically have been grossly underfunded by the Government. "When I have teachers ringing me and saying, 'We are not allowed to print, we are not allowed to photocopy, the school can't afford it', something is drastically wrong to get to that place on a very wealthy island." Also commenting on the figures, Deputy Jonathan Renouf adds: "The minister says that it is largely driven by an increase in Special Educational Needs, and I think what we would like to see is a little bit of accounting to show where the money has actually gone and how much of it. "He is asking for more, he says education has been underfunded, so we need to understand before we can go down that road, I think, we just need to see what has happened to that money so far."
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rouge Bouillon road reopens after sinkhole closure
Rouge Bouillon road in St Helier has reopened after a sinkhole caused months of repair works. A burst water main created the sinkhole beneath the road in December 2024 and the road was closed between Clarendon Road and Palmyra Road. The Government of Jersey said concrete to underpin parts of a building had been poured in last week and that structural engineers had given their approval for the road to reopen. Road markings had also been repainted, it added. More news stories for Jersey Listen to the latest news for Jersey Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to Rouge Bouillon set to reopen after sinkhole damage Sinkhole road closure to continue overnight Government of Jersey
