A work in progress...

A DUTCH architect firm says it is 'very near' to finalising plans to turn Alderney's Fort Tourgis into a hotel and conference centre.

Verjweij and Partners has been granted a three-month extension to make a decision on whether it will buy the Victorian fort.

The option to purchase a long lease on the property was granted to Verjweij and Partners in 2008 and the firm was given two years to come up with plans and purchase the lease for £1m. At the end of that period, it was granted a further year to finish the designs. It submitted building proposals, which were conditionally approved, and now has been given until the end of March to finalise arrangements.

Directors of the firm came to Alderney and reported to States members just before Christmas.

One of the provisions still under discussion was believed to be a new flight link for guests between Alderney and England.

'With Tourgis we are very near to finalising all the preparations we have to make before starting to build,' said Verjweij and Partners' Marianne Mollema.

'We made a beautiful and feasible plan for Fort Tourgis – we have our planning permission. We have contracted our main and subcontractors and we selected a hotel management group. We have found solutions for the transport of building materials, workers and in the future our guests.'

Fort Tourgis was a 'large project', especially for Alderney, she pointed out, and such developments could take up to 10 years to complete.

'The projects our company is involved in always take a long time – 10 years from the first idea to finalising a building is not an exception.'

Chairman of the Policy and Finance Committee John Beaman added: 'I think it would have been nit-picking to have said that they cannot have another three months.

'They said they had made good progress and explained where they were at.'

Fort Tourgis was constructed by the British government in 1855 in order to provide defence for the Breakwater. It was adapted by the German occupying forces during the Second World War and now stands derelict.