Correspondence with Queen Street businesses (FOI)

​​​Request

On 24 June 2024, Deputy Kirsten Morel was quoted as saying “I have appealed to property owners, suggesting to them that they are best serving the Island if they get businesses trading from premises.” In relation to property owners in “the north end of Queen Street” St Helier.

This implies that the Minister had already spoken in an official capacity to property owners. 

Please provide copies of correspondence to owners of these properties from 10 January 2024 up to and including 24 June 2024 by the minister and or by his officers. 

Response

The 2023 Ministerial Delivery Plan committed to developing a new retail strategy during 2024 which would include engagement with both internal and external stakeholders. To date this engagement has primarily been through industry bodies such as the Chamber of Commerce at a Ministerial level with further informal engagement at an officer level.

In May 2024, noting increasing vacancy rates in Queen Street specifically, the Minister requested officers to explore options for addressing the vacancy rate and arrange meetings with relevant stakeholders in due course.

​A copy of an email exchange on this matter is attached for reference. Redactions have been applied as appropriate to avoid disclosure of personal information in accordance with Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011.

Email Chain_Redacted.pdf​

Article applied

Article 25 - Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.​