No.4 Jersey International Financial Centre, The Esplanade, St. Helier – P/2012/1141
The first phase of the new Esplanade Quarter plans have been submitted. They include provision for basement parking which will necessitate excavating below sea level and the removal of toxic landfill containing asbestos and hazardous incinerator ash.
The proposed Financial Centre is to be constructed upon reclaimed land, which at best could only be described as hazardous. The proposal sees the excavation under one of the buildings going down far enough to construct a three level basement car park.
It is confirmed that no asbestos testing has been undertaken with regard to the fill materials that are present there today. This area of reclaimed land is known to have various pockets of asbestos dumped there during the reclamation of this area. It is a blatant disregard for the health of not only the workers that will be employed on this project but also to the residents surrounding this development and daily users of the area.
Developers have recently been restricted under new guidelines instigated by the last Planning and Environment Minister following representations by SOSJ, not to excavate further than one basement level and developers have duly complied regarding their plans for Castle Quay (2), Zephyrus and Westwater. They all now have plans showing single storey basements.
We believe that a precedent has been set under which exacavation below sea level in this area should not be undertaken. The pockets of hazardous materials are best left alone and not exposed to the sea and air and then transported to La Collette for treatment. SOSJ question how TTS can be sure that they can safely take the vast quantities of material (much of which will be contaminated with asbestos and ash) required to deliver the parking shown on the masterplan scheme for the whole Esplanade quarter.
