Not-for-profit group to breathe new life into La Vallette

Monday 20 May 2019

A redeveloped kiosk, regenerated bathing pools facilities and a mixed use performance space at La Vallette have been proposed by a not-for-profit group that wants to enhance the area.

'Vive La Vallette' have been named by the States as the preferred bidder to regenerate La Vallette, which is one of the areas identified as part of the Seafront Enhancement Area Programme.

The group, involves several Islanders who are well-known locally for their community work including Dave Warr, former Vice-Chairman of the Guernsey Community Foundation, former Guernsey football manager Steve Sharman, and David De La Mare of DLM Architects.

"We are really excited about the potential for La Vallette and our ideas for the area will take in the arts, the natural environment and physical and mental health and wellbeing," said Mr Warr. "This will be something not for an exclusive group, it’s for the whole community."

The group is now being given a four-month exclusivity period to further develop and confirm their proposal, which includes improving the bathing pools facilities. This process will include further engagement with the public and other interested parties.

"The group and the individuals that are involved are passionate about retaining fantastic space for the Guernsey community," said Mr Sharman. "The natural beauty and outlook hasn’t changed in thousands of years and it is not our intention to change that in any way shape or form. 

"The group we have involved we have expertise in art, in catering, in project management, in design, in architecture, in finance, in building trade, so we have an enormous amount of experience within the group that formed Vive La Vallette and from our perspective may grow if we find that we have gaps and that we need other people."

While they plan to re-develop the kiosk, every effort will be made to ensure that kiosk facilities are available this year. 

Damon Hackley, Head of Operations for Economic Development and Senior Responsible Officer for the Seafront Enhancement Programme, said the group had not to date asked for any States subsidy. 

"The steering group set out on this project without any preconceived ideas of investing States money," he said. "We were waiting to see what could come forward from the private sector and at this stage there hasn’t been any money asked from the States. We’ll see how it goes - it might be that with things like the public toilets we can invest some of the money that the States would normally spend on this area, but it’s very much down to the private sector to fund it, which works out really well for the taxpayer and the wider community."

Deputy Gavin St Pier, Chairman of the Seafront Enhancement Area Steering Group, said the wider project was starting to bear fruit. 

"We’ve had some really good suggestions for the two sites at La Vallette, as we have for the other four locations included in this project," said Deputy St Pier. "We’re really grateful to everyone who has contributed and we’re really excited by the Vive La Vallette proposals which can now be developed further. The Steering Group is confident that the Vive La Vallette proposal is in line with the majority views of the public for how the area should be enhanced.  It’s a great chance to make a lot more of a beautiful part of St Peter Port that is full of potential."

Pictured top: Vive La Vallette members Dave De La Mare, Dave Warr, Helen Bonner-Morgan, Steve Sherman and Andy Hall.