College Gardens – Breathing new life into a part of our Island’s history

With our College Gardens now underway, we feel it is important to discuss the history of the project and explore some facts and figures, while highlighting the many positive aspects for Jersey.

College Gardens is the new name for the former Jersey College for Girls site at Rouge Bouillon. This historic building has been left derelict for around 10 years so we’re excited and extremely honoured to have the opportunity to breathe new life into this part of our Island’s history. 

Firstly, we want the public to understand what exactly College Gardens will provide:

• JDC secured detailed planning approval in October 2014 for 187 residential units - 107 Category B units and 80 Category A units

• Of the Category B units (for purchase by those with Entitled / Licensed housing qualification) 75 units are pre-sold (70%)

• Of the Category A (affordable units) 40 are Social Rented Units for the over 55s and 40 are Shared Equity

 

We’re committed to providing 80 affordable units as part of the scheme, this is something that has been set by the Planning Permit and there is a Planning Obligation Agreement in place – in other words, we are legally bound to the successful delivery these units. 

Along with the 80 much needed affordable homes for Jersey, there are many other public benefits to the development:

• The repatriation of the 1930’s oak library to JCG’s new home at Mont Millais – We were proud to work with JCG’s Foundation to return the iconic features of the original school library to the current school ensuring its continued educational use. You can find out more about this project here.

• We’ll be encouraging community engagement by asking current JCG art students to get involved in the project by helping to create a permanent art installation

• We’ll be creating 50 additional parking spaces at Janvrin School to address the school’s parking concerns 

• We’re creating a pedestrian footpath on Drury Lane and including the resurfacing of the lane

• The project will be putting back into the Jersey economy as local building company ROK Regal is the preferred contractor having won the first stage tender and we have employed an entirely local professional design team made up of Waddington (architects and landscape architects), Tillyards (cost consultants and project managers), Hartigans (structural engineers), Henderson Green (M&E engineers)

 

We’re currently in the process of finalising negotiations with a Housing Trust to purchase the 40 Social Rented Units and the contract is due to be in place by the end of June 2016.

The Shared Equity units will be going on sale this June following sign-off of the eligibility criteria by the Housing Minister and approval of the proposal by the Environment Minister.

Before the main construction works even begin we will already have pre-sold at least 145 units (77%). The total value of these pre-sales will equate to £38m and will exceed the construction contract sum.

Enabling works are now taking place onsite and the main construction contract is due to be signed this July. 

For the avoidance of all doubt there is no borrowing, guarantees or letters of comfort from the States of Jersey. We have secured funding from a local bank to deliver 147 units and the Housing Trust is funding its 40 units. 

Completion of the development will be phased, 40 x Social Rented Housing units by the end of 2017, Listed Building (28 CAT B units) by mid-2018, and we expect the entire scheme to be complete by early 2019. 

On completion JDC will pay the States of Jersey all of the profits generated by the development via a dividend.