Guernsey Press

Casino safe - but costs trim project

PLANS for Guernsey's first casino at St Pierre Park Hotel remain viable.

Published

PLANS for Guernsey's first casino at St Pierre Park Hotel remain viable. But increasing costs mean the total cost of the development is being cut back.

'We are trying to cut back a little because the final cost is getting astronomical,' Tom Scott, chairman of CI Traders and St Pierre Park Hotel, said yesterday.

He confirmed that the hotel upgrade proposals would still include a building for the casino, on the end of the Victor Hugo suite.

'The principle has not changed.'

When the States last year discussed granting a casino licence, the estimated cost of the redevelopment was £25m.

The first of three phases - including the casino - was envisaged to cost £13m.

'We are still going ahead with things but there have been a few setbacks with alterations to plans,' he said.

Consent has not yet been received for the alterations.

A start date for work should be known early next year, when the five-star hotel will probably have to be closed.

Plans for up to 40 Las Vegas-style 'super casinos' across the UK have been scaled down following concerns about them leading to an increase in gambling addiction.

Mr Scott did not believe the UK's plans would have any bearing on the proposals locally.

In August the green light was given for work to start on the casino at St Pierre Park.

It came 11 months after the States voted 25-19 in favour of issuing a licence and the Gambling Control Commission confirmed that as long as the hotel complied with all licence regulations, it would be granted one.

In September last year, the then-Tourist Board told the House that the debate was the culmination of seven years' work and an outlay of £400,000, which would be recovered from the initial licence fee.

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