Jersey Airport (1937 Building): Intention to Include in List of Sites of Special Interest

Information about the publication of Ministerial Decisions

A formal published “Ministerial Decision” is required as a record of the decision of a Minister (or an Assistant Minister where they have delegated authority) as they exercise their responsibilities and powers.

Ministers are elected by the States Assembly and have legal responsibilities and powers as “corporation sole” under the States of Jersey Law 2005 by virtue of their office and in their areas of responsibility, including entering into agreements, and under any legislation conferring on them powers.

An accurate record of “Ministerial Decisions” is vital to effective governance, including:

demonstrating that good governance, and clear lines of accountability and authority, are in place around decisions-making – including the reasons and basis on which a decision is made, and the action required to implement a decision
providing a record of decisions and actions that will be available for examination by States Members, and Panels and Committees of the States Assembly; the public, organisations, and the media; and as a historical record and point of reference for the conduct of public affairs

Ministers are individually accountable to the States Assembly, including for the actions of the departments and agencies which discharge their responsibilities.

The Freedom of Information Law (Jersey) Law 2011 is used as a guide when determining what information is be published. While there is a presumption toward publication to support of transparency and accountability, detailed information may not be published if, for example, it would constitute a breach of data protection, or disclosure would prejudice commercial interest.

A decision made on 2 July 2012:

Decision ref:	MD–PE–2012-0088
Subject:	Notice of Intent to List: States of Jersey Airport (1937 building), L'Avenue de la Commune, St. Peter.
HER reference	PE0234		Current status:	Potential Listed Building Grade 1
Decision summary title:	DS - Intent to List: States of Jersey Airport (1937 building), St. Peter.
DS author:	Director: Policy, Projects and the Historic Environment
DS date:	09/08/2012		DS Status:	Public
Written report title:	WR – Listed Buildings and Places: States of Jersey Airport (1937 building), L'Avenue de la Commune, St. Peter.
WR author:	Head of Historic Buildings, Jersey Heritage
WR date	09/08/2012		WR Status:	Public
Oral rapporteur:	Head of Historic Buildings, Jersey Heritage
Decision(s):	The Minister for Planning and Environment expressed an intent to List the building and/or place specified above.
Reason(s) for decision:	The special interest of the building and/or place specified above, as defined and in the schedule and relative to the published criteria for selection, justifies its inclusion on the List of Sites of Special Interest as a Listed Building or Place in accordance with the provisions and purposes of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 as assessed by the Head of Historic Buildings at Jersey Heritage.
Legal and resource implications:	Article 51 of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 enables the Minister to include on the List of Sites of Special Interest those buildings and places that the Minister is satisfied has public importance by reason of the special archaeological, architectural, artistic, historical, scientific or traditional interest that attaches to the building or place. Article 52 of the same Law requires the Minister to serve Notice of his intention to do so. There are no additional resource implications of this decision.
Action required:	Serve Notice of Intent to add the Building specified above to the List.
Signature:
Name and position:	Deputy RC Duhamel Minister for Planning and Environment
Date signed:		Date of decision (If different to Date Signed):			02 July 2012

Jersey Airport (1937 Building): Intention to Include in List of Sites of Special Interest

Listed buildings and places

Les bâtisses et endraits historique

States of Jersey Airport (1937 building) L'Avenue de la Commune St. Peter

This report has been prepared by Jersey Heritage as part of its responsibility under a Service Level Agreement to provide reports and recommendations to the Minister for Planning and Environment on the architectural, historical, archaeological and other significance of buildings and places.

The assessment undertaken and the recommendation given in relation to the above building and place is made under the auspices of Article 51 of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law, 2002; and the criteria for the listing and grading of heritage assets adopted and published by the Minister for Planning and Environment.

The report also includes the views and advice offered by the Listing Advisory Group in relation to the assessment of this building and place.

Author of report: Roger Hills BA(Hons) MA DipBldgCons (RICS) IHBC - Head of Historic Buildings

Date of report: 02/02/12

File ref: PE0234

Current status

Potential Listed Building Grade 1

Proposed Status

Listed Building Grade 1

Relevant interests of the site

Historic interest

Jersey airport terminal was erected in 1936-7 to designs by Norman and Dawbarn of London, revised from earlier proposals of 1934. The Chamber of Commerce first discussed building a land airport in 1930, and in 1932 looked at a number of sites, including that near St Peter's Barracks which was eventually chosen. The proposal was put to the States in 1933, making the airport one of the earliest to be funded by local government in Britain; the first was Manchester (Ringway), opened in 1930. Norman and Dawbarn produced a report and proposals for the new airport in October 1934. The terminal was sited to allow flights to take off in all directions, as in the days before a macadamed runway wind direction was all important. The terminal building was planned principally for administration and as a control centre, with facilities for passengers in the single-storey wings and viewing platforms for visitors above.

After the war Jersey established itself as a major destination, and for a time the airport became the second busiest in Britain. The terminal facilities were updated in 1947, when Norman and Dawbarn were again the consultants, and many times subsequently. The nearby hangar, for Jersey Airlines, was designed in 1956, in an era where the runway was progressively tarmaced and extended. A new departures hall was built in 1965, and in 1968-70 additions were made to the wings, including a new restaurant and bar. Far greater additions were made in 1975-7 with a new passenger pier and fourteen gates and immigration facilities. More additions followed in 1995-6. None of the additions are of special interest, and indeed their removal would allow the original structure to become more intelligible and attractive.

Architectural interest

Jersey Airport's principal 1937 features are clearly intelligible - its overall plan form of a central block with low wings, the high entrance hall space, staircases and a striking façade on the land side.

The land-side façade survives well, to three storeys topped by a heavy cornice. The building has a steel frame clad in concrete blocks and with detailing of in-situ reinforced concrete, or so it appears from comparing the 1934 report with the actual building. The concrete has a thick pebble aggregate and appears in good condition. A few 1930s steel windows survive, mainly to the sides, with horizontal glazing bars that give a strong banding to the design, and with distinctively large, curved metal window catches. On the south side survives a tall chimney, which adds a vertical accent to an otherwise strongly horizontal composition. On the air side, fragments of the outer wall (which originally had inset balconies so there are confusingly two lines of walling) can be partly traced up the building, notably with the survival of the cornice above the third floor and (it is said) fragments of a crest concealed behind later panelling.

Less survives of the single-storey three-bay wings built to either side, although the roof, clerestories and curved ends are evident. The roof is supported on trusses, which may have been renewed at lower levels. Inside, the main entrance hall survives to give a sense of its original grandeur - still making an imposing arrival point for visitors and retaining its staircase. Above, only some of the smaller office spaces are definable, mainly by their original wood block flooring and doorways. The key features survive, therefore, in the main façade and central interior space - always the most important elements designed to impress the passenger, as well as a sense of the building's overall plan with its central block and bird-like (or airplane-like) wings.

Legal reasons for listing

Architectural
Historical

Statement of significance

Airports are a building type unique to the twentieth century that defines its history and culture as no other. Some forty local airports had been built in the British Isles by 1939 but only a few airport buildings from this pioneering era of flight survive, including Jersey Airport - giving the building greater importance and rarity value. The 1937 terminal with its bold crest and date is the first building seen by most visitors to Jersey. It is an indication of the wealth of good quality buildings that survive on the island from the inter-war years, when air travel played a part in the island's expansion as a commercial and tourist centre. It continues to be a mainstay of the island's culture and economy today, and one of its best-known, perhaps even emblematic buildings.

Advice offered by MLAG (and others if stated)

16/05/2011 Listed Building Grade 1

Jersey Heritage recommendation

Listed Building Grade 1

Attachments

Schedule

WR-ASS

Chief Executive Officer: Andrew Scate BA (Hons), Dip TP, MRTPI