Intention to list Parish Churches of Jersey as Sites of Special Interest

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A decision made (17.12.2008) to determine intention to list Parish Churches of Jersey as Sites of Special Interest

Decision Ref:	MD–PE–2008-0273
Subject:	List of Sites of Special Interest: Parish Churches of Jersey
Decision Summary Title:	DS - List as Sites of Special Interest: Parish Churches of Jersey
DS Author:	Kevin Pilley, Assistant Director
DS Date:	4th December 2008	DS Status:	Public
Written Report Title:	WR – List as Site of Special Interest: Parish Churches of Jersey
WR Author:	Roger Hills, Head of Historic Buildings, Jersey Heritage
WR Date	7th November 2008	WR Status:	Public
Oral Rapporteur:	Roger Hills, Head of Historic Buildings, Jersey Heritage
Decision(s):	The Assistant Minister for Planning and Environment determined her intention to List various Parish Churches of Jersey, as set out below, as Sites of Special Interest by reason of their special interest. These being:  Parish Church of Grouville,  Parish Church of St. Brelade  Parish Church of St. Mary  Parish Church of St. Martin  Parish Church of St. Lawrence  Parish Church of Trinity  Parish Church of St. Peter  Parish Church of St. Saviour  Parish Church of St. Clement &  Parish Church of St. Ouen
Reason(s) for Decision:	The intention to List various Parish Churches of Jersey as Sites of Special Interest is in accordance with the existing criteria for assessment and designation of historic buildings such that the Island’s Parish Churches are of public importance by reason of the special archaeological, architectural, historic and traditional interest that attaches to them and listing as Sites of Special Interest is in accordance with Article 51 of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002.
Legal and Resource Implications:	Article 51(2)(b) 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
Action required:	Serve Notices of Intent to List
Signature:
Position:	Assistant Minister for Planning and Environment
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different to Date Signed):

Intention to list Parish Churches of Jersey as Sites of Special Interest

List of Sites of Special Interest

Parish Churches

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 and archaeological significance of buildings and sites.

The assessment and recommendation are made in accordance with Article 51 of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law, 2002; Policy G11 of the Jersey Island Plan, 2002; and is in accordance with the existing criteria for the assessment and designation of sites of special interest. The report includes the views and advice offered by the Ministerial Registration and Listing Advisory Group.

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

Date of report: 7 November 2008

File ref: GR0046; MN0086; LA0197; CL0072; MY0125; BR0115; PE0186; TR0175; OU0019; SA0236

Relevant interests (see schedules)

Jersey’s parish churches are of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic and traditional interest.

The churches are of fundamental importance to the heritage of Jersey being amongst the oldest and most significant historic buildings in the Island. They have been central to the life of the community for hundreds of years and provide important insights into medieval and later society. The churches are in the vanguard of the Island’s greatest architectural achievements. Each has a long and complex structural history with visible fabric of several different dates reflecting the periods of rebuild and modification, their development intertwined with the ecclesiastical, political and social advancements and upheavals through the centuries. The fabric of the buildings and the underlying site are also of archaeological interest as they contain unique and valuable evidence about the development of the church, and potentially of pre-Christian activity. The churches are major features in the landscape, and the immediate setting of each includes a churchyard containing a rich variety of tombstones and monuments - many of historic or artistic interest.

St Helier Church was listed as an SSI in 1972 and St John’s Church listed as an SSI in 1999 - the other 10 parish churches have remained registered as pSSIs since the first historic buildings register was published in 1992. It is proposed that the importance of the churches to Jersey’s heritage clearly merits statutory listing as sites of special interest

Advice offered by MRLAG (and others if stated)

MRLAG discussed the parish churches at its meeting on 27 October 2008, and members unanimously agreed with the proposed listing as detailed in the attached schedules and plans.

Jersey Heritage recommendation

The Parish Churches of Grouville, St Brelade, St Mary, St Martin, St Lawrence, Trinity, St Peter, St Saviour, St Clement and St Ouen should be listed as sites of special interest.

The Parish Churches are of public importance by reason of the special archaeological, architectural, artistic, historical and traditional interest that attaches to them and listing as Sites of Special Interest is in accordance with Article 51 of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 and the existing criteria for assessment and designation.

Attachments

SSI schedules and plans