Plans for Millbrook playing field (FOI)

​Request

A

Please advise what is happening with Millbrook playing field that was gifted to the island but nothing is happening on? 

B

Please advise if there are there any plans to put something there for the children?

C

Please confirm if it is true that nothing can be fixed onto the ground like a play area or equipment, and that no cars can park on it?

Response

A, B and C

The Government of Jersey submitted planning application P/2023/1284 in December 2023 which is seeking approval to create a new entrance to the playing field from Coronation Park to allow informal play on the grass.   The planning application details can be viewed using the following link:

Planning application search results (gov.je)

The Government of Jersey intends this area to be available to the public in line with the consultation results, these can be accessed using the following link:

Coronation Park extension into Millbrook playing fields (gov.je)

Initial plans have been drawn up for review and a planning application will be submitted in due course.

It should be noted that the land donor and their heirs have the right of approval over what the site is used for.

Article 35 (Formulation and Development of Policies) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied to the release of any further information regarding the plans for the use of the Millbrook Playing Field since discussions are still ongoing and updates will be shared when the plans have been finalised.

Release of the information at this stage would likely generate misinformed debate. This could affect the ability of officials to consider and develop policy away from external pressures, and to advise Ministers appropriately. 

Article 35 is a qualified exemption; therefore, a public interest test has been applied and is shown at the end of this response.

Article applied

Article 35 - Formulation and development of policies

Information is qualified exempt information if it relates to the formulation or development of any proposed policy by a public authority.

Public Interest test

In applying this article, the following considerations were taken into account.

Public interest considerations favouring disclosure 

• Disclosure of the information would support transparency and promote accountability to the general public, providing confirmation that the necessary discussions have taken place.
• Disclosure to the public fulfils an educative role about the early stages in policy development and illustrates how the department engages with parties for this purpose.  

Public interest considerations favouring withholding the information 

• In order to best develop policy and provide advice to Ministers, officials need a safe space in which free and frank discussion can take place – discussion of how documentation is presented and provided is considered as integral to policy development as iterations of documents are demonstrative of the policy development process. 
• The need for this safe space is considered at its greatest during the live stages of a policy. 
• Release of the information at this stage might generate misinformed debate. This would affect the ability of officials to consider and develop policy away from external pressures, and to advise Ministers appropriately. 
• Premature disclosure of this information may limit the willingness of parties to provide their honest views and feedback. This would hamper and harm the policy–making process not only in relation to this subject area but in respect of future policy development across wider departmental business.

​Following assessment, the Government of Jersey have concluded that, on balance, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. 

It should also be noted that once a policy is formulated and published, the public interest in withholding information relating to its formulation is diminished, however, the use of the exemption can be supported if it preserves sufficient freedom during the policy formulation phase to explore options without that process being hampered by some expectation of future publication. ​