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It was only in September that the Government announced a new “joint approach” between the Economy and Planning teams. The Ministerial foreword notes its purpose: “…change will provide confidence that Jersey’s Planning system is supporting sustainable economic growth, and that decisions…are consistently informed by robust economic insight.” Strong political statements are one thing; but today the focus turns to one of those words in particular: decisions. Decisions on two new hotels, at Strive in St Peter, and at Milbrook in St Helier; one focussing on sports and conventions, and the other on the arts, yoga and cookery. Officers, who have presumably already followed the new joint economic benefit/planning approach, have recommended the refusal of the first, and the approval of the second. All of which makes today the first real test of that new policy, as their reasons for each recommendation will be closely scrutinised, compared and contrasted by the Planning committee. How was it applied, and what effect on the ultimate recommendation did it actually have? Did it make any difference? That is particularly pertinent in the Strive case, given the decision will come concurrently with the publication of the latest tourism figures, which showed – to no one’s particular surprise – a decline this year of a considerable 17% in “visits” so far in 2025, when compared to the same period in 2024. August, which is traditionally the “peak” month, saw 20% fewer visitors than the year before. Of course, the situation with the new ferry contract will have contributed to that, but not accounted for it; the fall is still very significant, and is the core reason why the tourism sector (amongst many others) is calling on Planning to enable exactly the sort of new investment which is being proposed today. Particularly since the proposals are aimed at generating “year-round” business, which has been the goal for many years, and so supporting the transport links on which all islanders rely. So, the two applications are both for hotels, both have fallen on the same day, and both are aimed at helping to reinvigorate a struggling industry; the similarity in the two proposals doesn’t extend much beyond that, and it is likely to be the Strive application which really provides the test as to how far the committee is prepared to go. That is important not just because of the message it sends out – but because it seems that the island is at a point when practical support is very much needed.
