Plans submitted to convert former Jersey beach café into holiday let despite public protests
ITV Channel's Fred Dimbleby reports on the controversial plans. Broadcast live on Wednesday 21 August
Controversial plans to convert a former Jersey beachside café into self-catering accommodation have been submitted.
Nadia Millar currently owns the site which used to be home to the Nude Dunes Café at La Pulente and formally applied on Monday 19 August to make it into a two-bed holiday let with a living room and kitchen, a bathroom and an office.
If approved, the proposals would also see changes to the site's access ramp, parking and landscaping.
A scaled-down beach café would remain on the site where customers can sit on the existing terrace to the north of the building or take away food and drink.
The outdoor terrace to the south would provide private outdoor space for the tourist accommodation.
More than 200 local residents staged a protest at La Pulente on 28 July over concerns the site could become expanded into tourist accommodation, something they believe may endanger Jersey's protected coastline.
Environmentalist Nigel Jones explains: "I wouldn't even want to see it as a fine-dining restaurant with expensive prices, now it's creeping onto residential, that I don't think is acceptable. This is a coast for everybody, not just for the few who can afford it."
Estate agent Jeremy Le Rossignol responded to the protestors at the time, saying: "It's an incredibly sad and desperate situation affecting all involved and my client is now trying to maximise the potential of securing a buyer by applying for summer lets as a possible additional income stream to make it more marketable to a potential new owner in the absence of any buyers to date.
"Categorically there are no intentions by the current owner to obtain planning permission for a house in the future."
Deputy Montfort Tadier, who backs the protestors, tells ITV News: "There has been concern over a number of years about the way that some areas of coastline have been going.
"We've seen some examples of what I would call over-development or changes of use which people haven't been happy with."
Many local residents say they are worried that allowing development of the former Nude Dunes site could be a "slippery slope" and pave the way for private developments to sprawl along the island's west coast, something islanders committed to fighting against at a similar demonstration in 2009.
Nude Dunes closed its doors with immediate effect in November 2023 after only opening in June 2023.
The land, including the La Pulente public toilet block, was sold by Jersey's government for £100,000 in 2014 but was most recently on the market for £2.2m.
The site will also be used to film part of the rebooted Bergerac series with filming taking place between 24 and 28 August.
The production company has told residents living nearby that all filming will be carried out professionally and has thanked them for their understanding.
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