21 March 2019
A recent risk review of Fort Regent has capped the number of people using the site at any one time at 1,170.
A fire risk assessment, conducted by a specialist fire engineering company, has also concluded that other safety measures, such as signage, marshalling and lighting, should be improved to enable large events to be held at the Fort.
The review was carried out after the discovery of asbestos closed parts of the Fort, which meant a number of emergency exits were no longer easily usable. The reduction in the number of usable emergency exits has led to the Fort’s capacity being capped.
The daily operations at Fort Regent (including sports club activities, the Active gym and the children’s play area) fall well below the capacity and are therefore unaffected. However, major events drive up numbers and officers have worked to relocate this weekend’s ‘Rumble on the Rock’ to an alternative venue.
Staff, tenants and property maintenance personnel have been informed, and Jersey Property Holdings, as landlord, is taking action to implement the risk assessment’s recommendations, supported by Fort Regent staff.
The Assistant Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Hugh Raymond, said: “It would not be right to allow events to be held knowing that safety was being compromised, and I hope alternative venues can be found for the events affected.
“The Fort continues to be a safe working environment, and its day-to-day operations can continue. However, risk assessors have concluded that safety measures must be improved for large events, and have recommended limiting the number of people allowed in the Fort at any time.
“We are well within that capacity during our daily operations but that capacity is reached when we hold large, major events, and regrettably we will no longer be able to hold them if they lead to the total number of people in the Fort exceeding 1,170.
“We are already working to address some of the recommendations, such as improving signage and our marshalling capabilities. Others, such as improving the lighting and re-assessing the emergency capacity, are being reviewed by Property Holdings.
“In the meantime, a ministerial steering group has been set up, under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, to identify how the Fort can remain an important asset for the island in the long-term.”
gov.je