Proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2026-2029 (P.70/2025): twenty-second amendment. Victoria Marine Lake – Repair and Maintenance

STATES OF JERSEY

PROPOSED BUDGET (GOVERNMENT PLAN) 2026-2029 (P.70/2025): TWENTY-

SECOND AMENDMENT

VICTORIA MARINE LAKE – REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE

Lodged au Greffe on 24th November 2025 by Deputy I. Gardiner of St. Helier North Earliest date for debate: 8th December 2025

STATES GREFFE

2025  P.70 Amd.(22)

PROPOSED BUDGET (GOVERNMENT PLAN) 2026-2029  (P.70/2025): TWENTY-SECOND AMENDMENT

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1 PAGE 3, PARAGRAPH (b)(viii) –

After the words "Summary Tables 5(i) and (ii) of the Report" insert the words – ", except that –

1. in Summary Table 5(i), the head of expenditure for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport & Culture should be reduced by £200,000, such funding to be allocated from the budget for Arts, Heritage and Culture; and
2. in Summary Table 5(ii), within the section entitled Infrastructure, there should be inserted a new row entitled "Victoria Marine Lake – Repair" with an allocation of £400,000 for 2026, and a decrease of £200,000 to the row entitled Infrastructure Rolling Vote and Public Realm".

2 PAGE 3, PARAGRAPH (b)(xii) –

After the words "in the Appendix to the accompanying report" insert the words -

", except that on page 60, after the words "to revitalise St. Helier ." there should be inserted a new paragraph as follows –

"The Budget allocates £400,000 for 2026 to provide funding for the specific repair for the Victoria Marine Lake, £200,000 of the funding required to be allocated from the funding for Arts, Culture and Heritage and £200,000 from the Infrastructure Rolling Vote. The Minister for Treasury and Resources will request funding from the States of Jersey Development Company of a further £200,000 to support the repairs in addition to the Government funding. Going forward the Marine Lake will be allocated up to £60,000 per year from the Head of Expenditure for Infrastructure. During 2026 the Minister for Infrastructure will also seek expressions of interest from operators for the site."

with any consequential amendments to be reflected as necessary throughout the Budget".

 DEPUTY I. GARDINER OF ST. HELIER NORTH

Note:  After this amendment, the proposition would read as follows –

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

1. In accordance with Article 16 of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019 (the Law) to approve an amendment to the Government Plan 2025 – 2028 (entitled "Budget 2025 – 2028") to a reduction in the 2025 head of expenditure "Grants to States Funds" as included in Table 5(i) Revenue Heads of Expenditure of that Government Plan from £119,821,000 to £69,821,000.

2. To receive the Government Plan 2026 – 2029 (entitled "Budget 2026-2029") specified in Article 9(1) of the Law and specifically –

1. to approve the estimate of total States income to be paid into the Consolidated Fund in 2026 as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 1 to the Report, which is inclusive of the proposed taxation and impôts duties changes outlined in the Government Plan, in line with Article 9(2)(a) of the Law.
2. to refer to their Act dated 24th June 2003 in which they approved that no new user pays' charges be introduced without any such charge receiving prior in principle approval by the States Assembly and accordingly to approve the introduction of two new charges, to be levied by Health and Care Jersey to promote appropriate use of the Emergency Department and for repeated non-attendance of outpatient appointments, detailed in the section entitled "Departmental Income Sources" as set out in the Appendix to the accompanying Report.
3. to approve the proposed Changes to Approval for financing/borrowing for 2026, as shown in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 2 to the Report, which may be obtained by the Minister for Treasury and Resources, as and when required, in line with Article 9 (2)(c) of the Law, of up to those revised approval amounts.
4. to approve the transfers from one States fund to another for 2026 of up to and including the amounts set in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 3 in line with Article 9(2)(b) of the Law.
5. to approve a transfer from the Consolidated Fund to the Stabilisation Fund in 2026 of up to £50 million, subject to a decision of the Minister for Treasury and Resources based on the availability of funds in the Consolidated Fund as at 31st December 2025 in excess of the estimates provided in this plan, or from budgeted underspends identified before 31st December 2026.
6. to approve a transfer from the Consolidated Fund to the Agricultural Loans Fund in 2026 of up to £5 million, subject to a decision of the Minister for Treasury and Resources based on availability of funds in the Consolidated Fund as at 31st December 2025 in excess of estimates provided in this plan, or from budgeted underspends identified before 31st December 2026;
7. to approve each major project that is to be started or continued in 2026 and the total cost of each such project and any amendments to the proposed total cost of a major project under a previously approved Government Plan, in line with Article 9(2)(d), (e) and (f) of the Law and as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 4 to the Report.

viii.  to approve the proposed amount to be appropriated from the Consolidated Fund for 2026, for each head of expenditure, being

gross expenditure less estimated income (if any), in line with Articles 9(2)(g), 10(1) and 10(2) of the Law, and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Tables 5(i) and (ii) of the Report, except that –

1. in Summary Table 5(i), the head of expenditure for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport & Culture should be reduced by £200,000, such funding to be allocated from the budget for Arts, Heritage and Culture; and
2. in Summary Table 5(ii), within the section entitled Infrastructure, there should be inserted a new row entitled "Victoria Marine Lake – Repair" with an allocation of £400,000 for 2026, and a decrease of £200,000 to the row entitled Infrastructure Rolling Vote and Public Realm.

9. to approve the estimated income, being estimated gross income less expenditure, that each States trading operation will pay into its trading fund in 2026 in line with Article 9(2)(h) of the Law and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 6 to the Report.
10. to approve the proposed amount to be appropriated from each States trading operation's trading fund for 2026 for each head of expenditure in line with Article 9(2)(i) of the Law and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 7 to the Report.
11. to approve the estimated income and expenditure proposals for the Climate Emergency Fund for 2026 as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 8 to the Report.
12. to approve, in accordance with Article 9(1) of the Law, the Government Plan 2026-2029, as set in the Appendix to the accompanying Report, except that on page 60, after the words "to revitalise St. Helier ." there should be inserted a new paragraph as follows –

"The Budget allocates £400,000 for 2026 to provide funding for the specific repair for the Victoria Marine Lake, £200,000 of the funding required to be allocated from the funding for Arts, Culture and Heritage and £200,000 from the Infrastructure Rolling Vote. The Minister for Treasury and Resources will request funding from the States of Jersey Development Company of a further £200,000 to support the repairs in addition to the Government funding. Going forward the Marine Lake will be allocated up to £60,000 per year from the Head of Expenditure for Infrastructure. During 2026 the Minister for Infrastructure will also seek expressions of interest from operators for the site."

with any consequential amendments to be reflected as necessary throughout the Budget.

REPORT

The Victoria Marine Lake also known as the West Park Bathing Pool (the "Pool") in St. Helier was opened in 1897, to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. It is one of the Island's oldest and most historically significant tidal pools.

 In recent months, has been the subject of a recent  e-petition (in excess of 1500 signatures within first 6 weeks of its launch), various questions in the States Assembly, a public meeting and extensive media coverage due to severe structural deterioration and the closure of the site to swimmers for safety reasons.

Damage to the Pool seawall has resulted in its closure since 2023 (BBC News 20 October 2025). Emergency repairs started in 2025, but it has been indicated that there is a not sufficient funding allocated to refurbish the Pool to the state that will make it safe for public to swim.

This amendment seeks to fund the necessary repairs to ensure a safe place for public swimming and provide sufficient funding to allow annual maintenance costs to be met. Going forward this should/will negate the possibility of any further closures thus ensuring the Pool is available to the community and visitors.

Recently the Pool has been given a Grade 4 listing, indicating its importance to the Island.[1] Whilst the listing has the potential to increase costs, as noted by the Minister for Infrastructure in Written Question 402/2025, there is precedent for safety concerns to override heritage requirements [2]and in this instance concerns about loss of the pool if action is not taken. The same Written Question response cited "heritage planning requirements" may restrict material choices for repairs.  

This requires correction:

• Purpose of Listing - Listing identifies the special interest of a building or place. It does not prohibit alteration, nor does it determine materials in advance. It supports proposals that preserve or enhance the significance of the site thus retaining the heritage value.

• Appropriate Materials for the Pool – The 20th-century concrete capping and reinforcement form part of the Lake's historic evolution and are essential to structural survival against marine forces. Stripping back 20-th century work would likely accelerate structural failure. Use of marine-grade concrete in a new scheme would be an entirely appropriate and practical way of preserving the significance of this elemental structure.

This amendment seeks to fund the necessary repairs to allow the Pool to be safe for public swimming and provide sufficient funding to allow annual maintenance costs to be met. Going forward this should negate the possibility of any further closures, ensuring the Pool is available to the community.

The aim is to ensure:

• Structural integrity and stabilisation of the historic seawall;

• Public safety and reinstatement of what is a year-round safe swimming access;

• Protection of a newly listed heritage asset consistent with government heritage objectives;

• To enhance the most southerly aspect of the wall, which faces the worst of the weather and sea conditions and it the primary point of failure of the Pools wall. Some work has be undertaken previously – using stone boulders – but this needs further attention.

• Establishment of a sustainable operation and maintenance model through community partnership.

Funding mechanism for Repair Costs

The cost of restoration has been cited by the Minister as commercially sensitive. Therefore, the funding requested within this amendment is, at best, an estimate. The figure of £600,000 derived from the previous costing in 2015 factored for inflation, with an additional amount included in appreciation of the building costs being somewhat more than inflation.

The proposed funding model follows the successful 2014 co-funding model between the Tourism Development Fund, the Parish of St. Helier and the Jersey Development Company (MD-E-2014-0008) which delivered previous restoration works to create a recreational facility for tourists and local residents.

For this reason, I propose the following funding mechanism:

• £200,000 Infrastructure & Environment (I&E)

• £200,000 Heritage/Cultural Environment capital envelope  

• £200,000 States of Jersey Development Company (as part of the remit for regeneration of St Helier consistent with its role and Waterfront enhancement) [3]

Funding from the Rolling Vote

As detailed within the Budget (p.60), the Infrastructure Rolling Vote is "a programme of continual improvements to maintain key infrastructure such as the Island's roads, drains and sea defences, which need on-going maintenance and replacement over time. This is critical ongoing activity that is integral to the continued functioning of critical infrastructure that Islanders depend on.

"Funding for Public Realm is included within the rolling vote, to allow for the continual improvement and safety of roads, paths, and public spaces in and around St. Helier and across the Island. This funding plays a major role in realising the Council of Ministers' CSP to revitalise St Helier."

I would argue that this project contains aspects of improvement and safety, whilst also playing a key role in revitalising St Helier.

Funding from Arts, Heritage and Culture (ACH)

Page 47 of the Budget states that "there is no single budget for arts, culture and heritage funding with departments working together to common aims such as support for the arts, culture and heritage sectors".

It then goes on the state that "whilst there is no universal definition of what constitutes arts, culture and heritage spending, Government expenditure has been reviewed against arts spending for Arts Council England, heritage spending as classified by UNESCO Institute for Statistics and cultural spending as defined under the UN Classifications of Functions of Government Statistics."

The proposed allocation falls squarely within this the classification of heritage spending as it relates solely to –

• protection of a historic structure;

• safeguarding a publicly accessible heritage site;

• conservation of the coastal cultural landscape.

A Heritage Strategy for Jersey 2022 emphasises the need to invest in conservation of heritage assets. The amendment is also consistent with the Government's existing 1% arts, culture and heritage funding commitment (P.40/2019).

This reinforces that restoration works should be treated as heritage conservation spend, rather than discretionary community or leisure spend, ensuring transparency and alignment with recognised international standards.  

Funding from the States of Jersey Development Company

The remit of SoJDC is to undertake regeneration work for the Government of Jersey – "As the Government of Jersey's delivery partner for major property development and regeneration projects, SoJDC plays a key role in shaping the Island's built environment. Its remit includes completing the redevelopment of the St Helier Waterfront and leading the regeneration of surplus Government-owned assets." [4]

It is therefore considered the revitalisation of the Pool is consistent with its role and falls within its remit of regeneration of St Helier and enhancement of the Waterfront.

Maintenance

With the exception of the sluice gates, the Pool should only require scheduled review and addressing any grouting failures. If fixed in a timely manner, costs to maintain represent a fraction of what is now required after a decade of no maintenance.

The annual figure of £60,000 has been identified, in line with the Havre des Pas Lido annual maintenance fee.

This will be delivered through Expressions of Interest for a community operator to run seasonal activities.

Conclusion

The advantages of reopening and restoring the Pool cannot be understated and include –

• providing beneficial health and recreational benefits to the public

• promoting a sustainable, low-cost, free outdoor attraction all year round

• enhancing/aligning with Jersey's Age-Friendly and Active Travel commitments

• complementing the Waterfront redevelopment

I urge all States members to support this amendment. Financial and staffing implications

Financial implications are detailed within the amendment. The funds requested are purposefully apportioned from different areas to ensure no one department or workstream is overly impacted. In addition, it is hoped that the different funding sources will highlight that this site has multiple aspects.

Staff time would be required to arrange for the repair and maintenance works however it is considered that such would be treated as business as usual.

Children's Rights Impact Assessment

A Children's Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) has been prepared in relation to this proposition and is available to read on the States Assembly website.

[1] "Listing Building or Place (Grade 4)

Buildings and places of special public and heritage interest to Jersey, being good example of a particular historical period, architectural style or building type, but defined particularly for the exterior characteristics and contribution to townscape, landscape or group value". Why a building or place is listed gov.je

[2] P/2020/0690

[3] Funding not included in the allocation on Summary Table 5(ii) as these funds would need to be received directly from the SoJDC, outside of Government revenue streams.

[4] About Us | Jersey Development Company