States panel upholds seawall complaint

A States' panel has upheld a complaint against the government after its property management company said it was not responsible for maintaining a section of seawall.

Jersey Property Holdings, the States' appointed corporate landlord for public land and buildings, previously said the parapet section of the wall adjacent to flats at Brise de Mer, La Grève d'Azette, St Clement, did not fall within its remit.

A complaint was later filed against the minister for infrastructure on behalf of the Brise de Mer Apartments Association.

This was upheld in July, concluding the entire wall was owned by the public of the Island and the landowner - the public - bore responsibility for its safety.

Jersey Property Holdings had said it was only responsible for the lower part of the sea walls around the island's coastline and the maintenance of the parapet sections rested with property owners.

The Infrastructure and Environment Department has acknowledged the States of Jersey Complaints Board's findings and said it will respond in due course.

Geoffrey Crill, who chaired the States of Jersey Complaints Board hearing, said it was "an interesting and clear-cut complaint for the Board to address".

He noted it was "clear that the complainant had approached the department in the correct manner" and had "rightly relied on a contract of transaction dated June 2016 between the Public of the Island of Jersey and the Association".

He stressed the department's position "would have been strengthened had it been transparent from the outset that its decision was driven by cost and resource considerations".

The board made a number of recommendations, including that the Property Holdings Department inspects the sea wall at the property and undertakes any necessary repairs without further delay.

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