States members have turned down the opportunity to build an indoor cricket and sports venue with gym and fitness studios next to Farmers Field in St Martin.

It was proposed by Deputy Steve Luce, who said it would build on the huge success of the Jersey cricket teams and encourage more people to become physically active.

"Jersey Cricket is on a high at the moment and has been for a while and our team are representing us magnificently overseas, but this is about encouraging our young people to aspire to be the next Jersey cricket team.

As with Strive, I envisage this new facility will allow for a large amount of public and educational access at no cost to become a real centre of excellence for all, not just locals, but internationals as well.

This would be a multi-functional sports venue with health and wellbeing facilities, it would encourage more physical activity and go a little way to get us to our aim of increasing physical activity by 10% by 2030.

Also, the time in Fort Regent is being taken out of action. Here is an opportunity for us to put something back."

The Jersey Men's Cricket team sit 23rd in the ICC rankings.

Neil MacRae's side won 'Team of the Year' at the 2021 Channel Islands Sports Personality of the Year Awards, with Chuggy Perchard picking up the top prize.

A host of international cricket teams have played at Farmers Field since it was opened in 2003 - including France, Germany, Italy, and the USA.

If approved, Field MN727 in St Martin would have had to be rezoned.

However, the plan was rejected as part of the Bridging Island Plan by 27 votes to 18.

That's despite the Independent Planning Inspector recommending it be approved.

“The site is the logical place for such a facility, being adjacent to the existing cricket ground, which provides an excellent facility for cricket in the island. The proposal is supported by the International Cricket Council and the ground has provided a venue for international teams to compete against the Jersey team.

Secondly, the hearing was told that alternative arrangements for existing indoor sporting facilities at Fort Regent are being sought as Fort Regent is not ideal for indoor sports. In our view, these factors outweigh the Minister’s objection. The proposal would provide a privately funded, desirable facility in a logical location. In reaching our view, we have taken into account the Active Jersey Strategy and the aim in the DBIP to ensure a broad range of high-quality facilities for sport in the island.

Recommendation 38: Allocate in Policy CI5 field MN727 St Martin for an indoor cricket school with associated health and fitness facilities. Amend the Proposals Map to reflect this change."

This was the only proposal in which the Environment Minister went against the inspector's advice.

Deputy John Young says they could have been talking about 35 homes on this field instead - and asked whether it was right to build such a large facility in the middle of the countryside.

"Just remember the zoning debate and the pain we've gone through with all those housing sites wherein the case of housing, we absolutely know there's a proven need, the pain we've gone through, and when we're asked to make decisions on other uses where we don't have that evidence of proven need, I must put members on caution."

Deputy Montfort Tadier says if he was a politician in the St Martin area, he would have wanted to get the views of parishioners and do a Parish Assembly, Deputy Geoff Southern says it wasn't a question of how much you love cricket, it's about 'procedure', and Deputy Mike Higgins says the Island Plan shouldn't be used as the means to get planning permission for private schemes.

Concerns were also raised by Deputy Kirsten Morel over the impact this would have on traffic levels in the area.

He also pointed out the plans to refurbish the Grainville Cricket facility.

£300,000 was awarded for that work as part of the government's Fiscal Stimulus fund.

Deputy Morel says he was concerned about duplication.

"We are only 100,000 people and I find it hard to believe that we would need one centre of excellence for cricket in St Martin and another centre of excellence for cricket in St Saviour.

One is almost certainly enough for the island, I'm sure."

The plans were supported by the Assistant Minister with responsibility for sport, Deputy Hugh Raymond. He says it was an ideal situation where rezoning can be considered.

The former Assistant Minister with that responsibility, Senator Steve Pallett, paid tribute to the owner of Strive whilst giving his support to this proposal.

Former Planning Committee members Deputy Scott Wickenden and Deputy Russell Labey both cited their experience of considering the planning application for the Strive Health facility.

Both voted against Deputy Luce's idea.

"I would like to see what the plans look like in a planning situation, but I think this is the wrong place to make this decision by the assembly because we just don't have the level of detail that we want.

As much as it would be good for cricket, as much as it would be good for sport, is it the right spot? That hasn't been proven that this is absolutely the right spot and that all the right outcomes will be there." - Deputy Wickenden.

"We are veering here into the territory of planning application. I've watched the Farmers FIeld grow, I enjoy the tweets about it and I like cricket, but my question to the proposer here is: does the indoor facility have to be next door to the pitch itself?

Isn't the natural home for an indoor facility for the cricket in the new St Peter's sports hub to come, if all goes well?" - Deputy Labey.

Constable Deidre Mezbourian agreed with Deputy Labey. She says it's the wrong place for what she calls 'this rather massive sports facility.'

"It would impact upon the character of the countryside and it would be completely out of place.

We're being asked to rezone and as far as I'm concerned, notwithstanding my performance on the cricket field many years ago, if I can't support building much-needed homes on agricultural land smack bang in the middle of our green zone in the countryside, I regret that I can't support rezoning to provide this sporting facility."

Despite Deputy Luce calling on States members to 'take a leap of faith', his proposal was rejected.

Channel 103 has contacted Jersey Cricket for comment.

States members did unanimously approve a proposal from Deputy Young to develop sporting facilities on FB Fields and land to the south of Strive.