La Pulente toilet block (FOI)

​​Request

1. Please can you advise me of how the toilet block at La Pulente came to be sold to a developer for £120,000?

2. Exactly what format was this property advertised for sale on and what date was this published?

3. Was it sold by tender or a fixed price and if a fixed price, set by who?

4. How were the governance issues investigated to ensure no chance of favouritism or conflict or interests?

Response

1. The toilets were sold to The Shell House Limited on the 18 July 2014 for the sum of £111,000 plus GST.

A copy of the contract of sale can be found in the Public Registry. The Public Registry Index and Document Enrolment (PRIDE) system can be accessed either at the Public Registry, in the basement of the States Building, or at the Jersey Archive.

2. The public toilets were advertised for sale in the Jersey Evening Post on four occasions, on the following dates:

• 18 September 2013
  
• 25 September 2013
  
• 9 October 2013
  
• 16 October 2013
  

Back copies of the Jersey Evening Post are held in the Public Library.

In addition the attached particulars were available from the offices of the appointed agents Buckley & Co.

3. In addition to the successful bid, three further bids were received to acquire the freehold of the property:

• Bid A £80,000
  
• Bid B £72,000
  
• Bid C £55,000
  

The tenders were opened by the appointed agents Buckley & Co, an independent company which marketed the property on the public’s behalf, with an officer from Jersey Property Holdings in attendance to record the tenders received.

The highest sum was recommended for acceptance.

4. The relevant Ministerial Decisions can be found using the links below.

Ministerial Decision on the sale of La Pulente Toilets dated 24 March 2014

Ministerial Decision on the sale of La Pulente Toilets dated 3 March 2014