Details of expenditure in relation to Port Galots (FOI)

​​Request

I have some specific questions with regard to Port Galots.

A.

Could I please have full accounts for the Port Galots scheme, which was turned down in 2014? In particular, I am interested in the costs incurred and who they have been incurred by.

B.

At the time there was reference to the SOJ entering into a business agreement/partnership with a company formed and owned by the former harbour master. What is this company called, what is its purpose and what is the nature of the SOJ relationship with it please?

C.

With regard to this company could you please tell me who are the shareholders/owners of this company?

D.

The SOJ website quotes that costs have been shared between the private sector company, and the public is this the same company referred to above and, if not, which company is this?

E.

Why are the public picking up half the bill for a private company?

F.

It also says that to date, the public has incurred expenditure on the current scheme project development costs of £225,334. How exactly is this broken down?

G.

Can you please therefore confirm that there is still in the region of £375,000 towards any future development? If this is not the case, can you please explain why?

H.

I would also like to know if there is any ongoing expenditure and, if so, what this is for.

Response

A.

There are no accounts for the Port Galots scheme. All the costs which have been incurred are shown below.

The sum of £600,000 was allocated in the 1995 Capital Programme to the Sport, Leisure and Recreation Committee for the relocation of the Sea Cadets. That capital allocation subsequently became part of the responsibility of the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture.

The data which is available from 1995 to 2002 is held on an obsolete financial accounting system and therefore only provides the amount which was spent year on year and not details of individual transactions. Retention of financial documents is only for ten years so nothing is held prior to 2005.

In 2002 a new financial accounting system was introduced.

The following information has been extracted from that system for the expenditure made by the Education, Sport and Culture Department (ESC) or their predecessor from the funding identified for relocation of the Sea Cadets.

Total spend between 1995 and 2004 equals £192,737

The remaining budget of £407,263 was transferred from ESC to Jersey Property Holdings (JPH) in 2006 in accordance with P93/2005, which formed Jersey Property Holdings as the body to manage States Properties see link below for rational of this decision.
Download Jersey Property Holdings establishment decision (size 74.9kb)

A period of exclusivity was agreed between the public and St Helier Ports Services Limited for the company to develop proposals for the site and lodge a planning application in support of the development.

St Helier Port Services Limited were paid £225,334 in 2014 in relation to the recent Port Galots scheme and the disbursements made by them to third parties are:

In addition to the above costs of the Port Galots scheme, payments totalling £55,750 were made in 2014 to the Jersey Maritime Trust.

These payments were in relation to setting up and operating the Trust. They were funded from two sources:

• £41,200 from the £600,000 allocation for the Sea Cadets capital budget; and
  
• A further grant of £14,550 from JPH’s revenue budget for ongoing activities of the Trust
  

Both amounts were solely in relation to the Port Galots proposals. However, if an alternative solution is proposed either on this or a different site the Trust is likely to have a role in the operation of the facility.

The total expenditure can be summarised as follows:

Expenditure from Capital Allocation prior to 2013 £192,737

Expenditure from Capital Allocation since 2013 £299,896

Total expenditure from Capital Allocation £492,633

The balance of funds which remains is therefore £107,367

B.

The company is called St Helier Port Services Ltd.

St Helier Port Services website

The nature of the relationship with SOJ is a contractual relationship with regards to the Port Galots project.

C.

This information is not held by the Scheduled public authority. Article 10 Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011.

D.

Yes St Helier Port Services Ltd.

E.

The agreement provided for the public to meet costs associated with the development of the scheme up to the submission of a planning application. The company would meet costs of development had the application been approved.

F.

Full detail is set out in response A. The amount of £225,334 is what was paid out in 2014 to third party providers.

G.

No there is not an amount of £375,000 the budget remaining is £107,367. The full breakdown of costs so far is detailed in response A.  There were costs from 1995 to 2014 totalling
£492,633.

H.

There has been no expenditure from the capital budget since December 2014 as detailed above.