Press Release - Nunnery ABO 13.05.2021

Nunnery lease renewal

Following discussion about leasing parts of The Nunnery Heritage Site at the People's Meeting on May 12, the States of Alderney wishes to confirm the issue is solely about termination or renewal of the lease on The Nunnery.

The lease fell due for termination at the end of December 2020 but has been continued on a monthly roll-over basis while fresh proposals are considered.

Next week (May 19) the States debates a proposal from its Policy & Finance Committee (P&F) to terminate the lease.

The matter has been discussed at length by the General Services Committee (GSC), the Finance Committee and P&F in recent months with the Alderney Bird Observatory (ABO) submitting a limited grant application for 2021 which was agreed.

"The issue is about The Nunnery lease, not about the ABO," said P&F Chairman Bill Abel after the meeting. "It is about the use of The Nunnery under the 'purpose of use' which justified the original refurbishment. This needs to be understood and considered in determining the future lease of The Nunnery. The concerns of the Island's accommodation sector should also be considered."

The States spent £317,500 refurbishing the Nunnery to include hostel accommodation for up to 10 visitors and housing for the ABO Assistant Warden. A separate flat is let to a private tenant who pays rent direct to the States.

The initial lease at a peppercorn rent was originally awarded to the Alderney Wildlife Trust (AWT) and was relinquished by them in March 2019. The ABO, on its split from the AWT in 2019, continued to utilise the Nunnery until a retrospective Tenancy Agreement (to January 2020) was signed in July 2020.

The AWT was tasked with co-ordinating the facilities for the benefit of various interest groups and any earnings in excess of running costs would be returned to the States.

P&F decided at its April meeting to ask the full States, which is convened in public, to debate the lease termination as it is considered a matter of public interest. The Billet item is proposed by Mr Abel and seconded by Boyd Kelly, Chairman of GSC.

Whatever the outcome of the vote, the States will review its objectives for The Nunnery facilities.