17 February 2021
Sports clubs and organisations that currently use Fort Regent will be contacted from today to discuss their future accommodation in alternative facilities.
The Government has started this important consultation exercise as the work on Fort Regent progresses - including the removal of asbestos and demolition of the old swimming pool. The aim is to find better, more suitable facilities to help sports clubs flourish in line with the Inspiring an Active Jersey strategy.
Assistant Minister for Sport, Deputy Hugh Raymond, said: “Our vision is for Jersey to become a healthier, more productive and fairer society by being one of the most physically active populations in the world.
“In September 2020, we announced Inspiring an Active Jersey. Currently, more than half of adults and more than 80% of children do not meet the World Health Organisation‘s guidelines for physical activity. Inspiring an Active Jersey aims to increase the number of active Islanders by 10% by 2030. If we are to achieve this, we need to make it as easy and attractive as possible for Islanders to get involved in a wide variety of sports and activities.
“It’s essential to provide facilities that meet the needs of our sports clubs and enable them to attract Islanders with ease.
“Fort Regent is no longer the best venue for many clubs as the building is ageing and needs repair and redevelopment. Consultation is the first step towards moving sports from Fort Regent into new sites. It will happen over time, to facilities which are as good, if not better.”
Engagement with the people who use sports facilities at Fort Regent is starting before the launch of the Inspiring Active Places Strategy later this month. This strategy will set out plans for future sports facilities across Jersey, and will launch alongside a public consultation, allowing all Islanders to feed into the process as it develops. A vision for Fort Regent will also be published shortly.
Knight, Kavanagh & Page (KKP), a UK-based consultancy firm specialising in large-scale public and infrastructure projects, will run the consultation over the coming weeks and will conduct interviews to determine how alternative facilities could better suit different sports. The outcome of the discussions will inform a design brief for the creation of alternative facilities that will serve Islanders for many years to come.
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