TRAVELLING to and from the Island by boat will be a vastly different experience before the end of the decade after plans for a major redevelopment of the Harbour were approved.

The Planning Committee yesterday approved an application from Ports of Jersey to transform the Elizabeth Harbour.

The plans include building a curved passenger terminal in a new location closer to the Elizabeth Marina, moving all freight operations from the New North Quay to a suspended platform close to the ferry ramps, changing traffic flows to and from the Harbour and erecting a new freight warehouse.

Freight and passenger activity will be separated for the first time into distinct and secure zones and Islanders driving on and off the ferry will follow new routes.

Departing vehicle passengers, for example, will turn right at the roundabout near Maritime House before going down a new road off Rue de l’Etau towards the new terminal.

Even the large blue crane on the New North Quay – often seen and heard lifting containers on and off ships – will be placed on a barge and moved to a new home between the Albert Pier and the existing “roll-on, roll-off” ramps.

In order to create enough space for that to happen, new reclamation will extend the land perimeter 65m out from the existing walkway.

From that reclaimed land, a platform suspended on 220 columns piled into the seabed will project out another 160m. That platform – on which the blue crane will sit – will allow cargo ships to come alongside. It will also provide space for containers to be stored.

The crane will also be able to load and offload freight on the western side of the platform, using one of the two existing berths, meaning that larger “low-loading” ships – those that do not have a vehicle ramp – can access the Harbour if required.

All current freight activity will move from the New North Quay to the Elizabeth Harbour, freeing that space for development, although that will be subject to future plans.

The approved redevelopment will expand the Harbour’s freight capacity by 34% to 544,000 tonnes a year, and increase the amount of space for freight activities by 46%.

When it comes to passengers, a new single-storey curved terminal will be built closer to the Elizabeth Marina and the long wall separating the marina from the Harbour will be demolished.

Gardens and walkways will bridge the gap, creating new public spaces that will be similar in area to the Millennium Town Park.

The multi-million-pound project will be funded by Ports of Jersey, which runs the Airport and Harbour on behalf of the public.

Ports reaction

Reacting to the approval, Ports of Jersey chief executive officer Matt Thomas said: “We are delighted with the Planning Committee’s decision to approve our plans for the redevelopment of Elizabeth Harbour.

“This marks a significant milestone for the Island, reflecting our commitment to enhancing our maritime infrastructure, supporting economic growth, and improving passenger experience.

“The redevelopment will bring numerous benefits, including increased capacity for freight and a boost for local businesses, improved facilities for passengers, enhanced safety features ensuring a secure environment for all harbour users, new public realm areas for Islanders to enjoy, aligning with Jersey’s sustainable development and contributing to Jersey’s net zero trajectory and creation of new jobs during the construction phase.”

Next steps

The construction phase is due to begin around this time next year, with a scheduled completion date towards the end of 2028.

The first part will be marine-based activity, including dredging and removing 80,000sq m of material from the seabed. Some of that material will be used for land reclamation and building a rocky “revêtement” wall; however, most of it will be shipped 6km south of Jersey and dumped at sea in a designated area.

After around 15 months of work, including piling in the columns and laying sections of the prefabricated platform on top, the land-based activity will begin, including demolition of the existing terminal and building a 2,500sq-m, 13m-high freight shed.

Freight firm objection

There was one voice of objection at the Planning Committee meeting: from Ferryspeed, which handles the vast majority of freight to and from the Island.

Speaking on behalf of the company, architect Richard Le Sueur said that Ferryspeed did not object to the principle of the project but it had a number of concerns, including the perimeters of the new berth in poor weather and the allocation of space in the new freight area.

He called for the planning decision to be delayed, at least until there was clarity on who would be running ferry services in future.

However, the committee proceeded with a determination, with plans being approved by five votes to one.

In approving the plans, the committee followed a recommendation from the Planning Department that they should be passed.