West Park Marine Lake Trust (WPMLT) application to the Tourism Development Fund (TDF) for the St Helier sea pool restoration project
During the autumn 2013 application round, an application was received from Jubilee Marine Lake Working Group to be known as the West Park Marine Lake Trust, for a grant of £115,000 towards the refurbishment of the West Park Marine Lake in St Helier.
It was proposed that the West Park Marine Lake be restored to create a recreational facility for tourists and local residents. It was intended that the lake would provide a water sports centre with the potential to house a range of sports and events, with the facility being operated under the management of the Bosdet Foundation (BF) -
(BF is a charitable foundation whose aim is to help people in need in Jersey through the development of the Les Ormes leisure facility and the revenue of the property portfolio. All its charity funds are generated by sport and property products.)
The TDF Advisory Panel gave detailed consideration of the application at four TDF Advisory Panel meetings in November and at a meeting with the applicant attended by the Chair of the Panel and the Director of Tourism & Marketing. As part of the assessment process, the Panel and Officers compiled a list of questions and concerns to be presented to the applicant for response.
Further clarification was also required regarding alternative sources of funding available to the applicant.
Following this, supplementary information was provided regarding corporate structure, additional sources of funding and the ongoing management and operation of the facility.
Following final consideration by the Panel on 26th November 2013 the provision of a grant in the sum of £115,000 was approved , subject to the following conditions :
- Deed of Trustees documentation to be provided to Economic Development Department
- The Parish of St. Helier will obtain a Lease for the land when the facility to be granted a lese becomes available). In practice, a licence for the use of the land (foreshore) will be issued by Jersey Property Holdings on behalf of the Public of the Island who hold the lease from the Crown.)
- The Bosdet Foundation will oversee the management of the lake; ( see attached )
- The Bosdet Foundation will enter into an operating agreement with the West Park Marine Lake Trust which will be set up to oversee the project as a whole;
- The Parish of St. Helier will provide £100,000 as a one-off payment and then £20,000 annually towards the costs of maintaining the lake;
- The States of Jersey Development Company will provide £100,000 as a one-off payment towards the restoration costs; and
- The Bosdet Foundation will provide £50,000 annually for a period of 5 years towards the costs of managing the lake.
The West Park Marine Lake Trust trustees will comprise:
Pierre Horsfall, proposed Chairman of Trustees
Clive Barton, Senior Partner, Moore Stevens and Procureur to Parish of St Helier (Enforcer)
Jeremy Swetenham, Commercial Director Jersey Heritage Trust
Kevin Mansell, Education Sport & Culture Dept.
Andrew Pemberton Chartered Accountant (Treasurer)
The refurbishment works are scheduled to commence in March 2014 ( following the tender process in February 2014 ) with the facility opening to the public on 21st July 2014 to coincide with the start of the school summer holidays.
The Panel highly recommends the project to the Minister, and seeks approval to proceed with the grant accordingly.