Oakfield Sports Centre Plans Being Amended

Jersey's government is looking to adapt its plans for expanding Oakfield Sports Centre after a first attempt to secure planning permission was rejected.

It followed concerns with the size and scale of the proposed sports hall.

The government's plan is for many sports - such as badminton, basketball, indoor cricket, and netball - to move there from Fort Regent.

The landmark will then be used for other reasons, with plans currently being finalised.

A cinema, hotel, bowling alley, and casino have all been suggested.

Officials have promised clubs currently using the Fort that they won't be thrown out without having somewhere to go.

Andy Scate, the Infrastructure Department's Director-General, told Scrutiny he's hopeful the development will still be able to go ahead in some form:

"We're looking at the moment to address some of the concerns raised around Oakfield, whether they be landscaping, design, materials, or colour.

"We are quite hopeful we'll get to a solution. [The progress made on the Oakfield proposal] is not something we would want to throw away".

He added that re-building at Oakfield presents a lot of opportunities:

"Firstly, [the site] is already in sporting use. Secondly, the site is in proximity to Hautlieu, Highlands College, and other schools in the vicinity.

"It is essentially a location that schools can more easily get to rather than having to trapse up to the Fort as they're expected to do at the moment, which is especially difficult for primary schools."

The indoor cricket league won't go ahead this winter because of the lack of alternative facilities to Fort Regent, and Jersey Cricket chairman John Harris says he's concerned that the rejection of the Oakfield Sports Centre could put future campaigns at risk too.