Jersey Parish faces £27,000 in legal fees over kiosk dispute
A Jersey parish faces legal costs of at least £27,000 following a dispute with a local kiosk owner.
The Parish of St Brelade was summonsed to court after the owners of The Hideout Cafe, at the southern end of St Ouen's Bay, was told its license would not be renewed and the owners would have to move the business from the car park at La Pulente.
Owner Karl Sutton said he was told by Constable Mike Jackson that this was in order to allow a nearby dilapidated toilet block to be converted into a cafe.
He said it had been agreed that The Hideout would move from its position 28 days after the completion of the toilets’ development, but was later told by the Constable that this was not possible.
In October 2020, the Cafe was given permission to relocate to the slipway at La Pulente following a unanimous vote at a parish assembly.
Constable Mike Jackson said the Parish had 'acquiesced' to the Hideout's requests on a reduced rent and the extension of a trading permit, but could not agree to throwing the developer of the new cafe off the Parish Car park - adding that this was rejected by the court directions and that the new development was 'proceeding apace'.