Rotary ‘raises the roof’ of Saumarez Park’s Japanese Pavilion

Thursday 17 June 2021

The process of dismantling the Japanese Pavilion has been given the green light following bat surveys.

The project received planning permission at the end of May and is being rebuilt as part of the Rotary Club's centenary celebrations.

It followed a short delay for Rotary to receive assurances from the Environment Department that there is no impact on the bat population as none had actually taken up residency in the roof of the old structure.

The development will progress over the coming months, and it is hoped the project will be complete by the end of the summer.

The new structure will include a bat roosting shelf to encourage the return of the creatures who have become fond of the area. 

Pictured: The new framework is being constructed at Paul's Joinery’s workshop. 

“It is so exciting to see the project finally lifting off (quite literally thanks to Bob Froome & Sons) after lots of hard work behind the scenes," said Site Manager Nigel Dorey from The Rotary Club. 

"I would like to say another huge thank you to all our sponsors including Butterfield, Resolution IT, the John Ramplin Charity Trust, the Castel Constables and Paul's Joinery. Without their invaluable support in bringing the project to life, none of this would have been possible.” 

The Rotary Club of Guernsey is leading the restoration project with the aim to provide a "lasting and sustainable" legacy for the pavilion, which is also known as the 'Duck House'.

Built in 1935, it was last restored more than 30 years ago in 1989 and has since fallen into disrepair. It was eventually deemed too dangerous to keep open, closing to the public in 2019.