Public meeting called on future of Havre des Pas Lido

The row over the future of the Havre des Pas bathing pool continues, with a meeting planned this evening (6 November) to discuss a possible protest in the Royal Square.

A community group is opposed to the government awarding a nine year lease to First Point, a private property management company.

Deputy David Warr of the Lido Steering Group and Havre des Pas Improvement Group has called the meeting, at 6pm at the Lido.

The St Helier deputy is bringing a proposition to the States Assembly next week, seeking to block the deal.

Read: Politician calls for Havre des Pas lido tender process to be scrapped

Instead, he wants to a future charity 'Love Our Lido' to receive an annual sum of £170,000 to maintain and operate the outdoor pool.

"The idea is that the charity (Love our Lido) keeps a watchful eye on the spending and the money, and the steering group puts forward ideas.

"It's trying to be transparent with the spending, and also trying to ensure we ringfence the spending."

The deputy says all sorts of new ideas can come from this approach.

"We desperately need to improve the changing room facilities. There's been an idea of a sauna, better use of the pool, maybe commercial use of the pool...There are all sorts of ideas that have been put forward, but we struggle to do that whilst we have Jersey Property Holdings or a government entity in charge."

When Ministers announced the appointment of the new operator last week, they said it was the 'fresh start' the Lido needed, and that First Point would 'work closely' with the steering group to meet the community's needs.

Deputy Warr says there has been no consultation, calling it the 'biggest frustration'.

"This new organisation has made no effort, over 12 months when they have had plenty of time, to engage with the community, to be 100% sure that it is the community wants and be sure they are delivering on behalf of the community."

"The community wants to be fully engaged from the very beginning. They want to know and have great clarity over who is who's running it; Do they approve of those individuals? Can they get on with them?"

The meeting will discuss staging another public protest, similar to one held last October.

Deputy Warr told Channel 103:

"That is how angry people feel.  We don't get people out protesting in the Royal Square, unless something is going wrong and something really matters to the community. Otherwise people just stay at home and think politicians are acting on their behalf. 

"In this situation, I think the community thinks the politicians are not acting on their behalf."