Revised airport hotel plans still seen as ‘too intimidating’

Revised plans for a hotel and conference centre close to Jersey Airport have been submitted after an earlier proposal was turned down by planners.

The £55m development, proposed by Strive Health Club in St Peter, was originally rejected by the island’s planning committee last year. In response, the developer has reduced the scale of the project and lodged a new application rather than pursuing an appeal.

The updated design would see the building reduced from six storeys to five, with 24 fewer bedrooms and a smaller overall footprint. The original plans included 179 rooms, 124 parking spaces, a spa and a swimming pool.

Strive Health Club managing director Ben Harvey said the company had worked closely with the government to reshape the proposal. He said submitting revised plans was seen as a more constructive approach than challenging the earlier decision.

However, St Brelade Deputy Jonathan Renouf remains opposed, arguing the development is still out of keeping with its surroundings. He described the proposal as “too big for what is predominantly a rural location” and said it remained “too intimidating”.

Speaking to BBC Radio, Deputy Renouf said the site sits within a green zone, where strict controls apply to new construction. He noted that the original building would have been taller than La Corbière lighthouse and said the revised version had only been reduced by a few feet.

He also raised concerns about the lack of visual material showing how the building would appear in the landscape, particularly given its potential visibility over long distances.

While Deputy Renouf said Jersey needed further investment in tourism infrastructure, he questioned the need for an airport-based hotel, suggesting St Helier was already easily accessible.

When the original application was considered in November, all seven members of the planning committee supported the principle of a hotel on the site but raised concerns over its size and scale. The committee also found the proposal conflicted with 21 policies in the Bridging Island Plan, and ultimately followed planning officers’ advice to refuse permission.