8 hours ago
Minister says Victorian marine lake repairs 'uneconomical'
The future of a marine lake built to mark the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria is in doubt after the minister responsible labelled it a "diminishing requirement".Victoria Marine Lake on St Helier's waterfront was marked as needing "comprehensive work" after an inspection last year, a decade on from a £300k repair in 2014. A written question was submitted earlier this month by Deputy Inna Gardiner, who asked for details on how the pool would be maintained and kept safe in the response, Constable Andy Jehan, minister for infrastructure, said plans to improve sea defences in the area meant it would be "uneconomical to repair the marine lake".
"Given the exciting plans under development for the waterfront and the need to improve shoreline management and coastal defence, it is anticipated that there will be a diminishing requirement for this feature," he well as highlighting repairs made to the lake's retaining wall in January, Constable Jehan referenced the £356,000 work done at Havre des Pas."It should be noted that there has been a considerable investment in the Havre des Pas pool wall and sluices to provide the facility for sea swimming at low tide, the function originally conceived for the marine lake."