Haut de la Garenne site to reopen

Haut de la Garenne became a youth hostel in 2004

A former youth hostel which shut while at the centre of a major police inquiry in Jersey is to open its doors to visiting military groups.

Haut de la Garenne, in St Martin, was previously a children's home and was investigated by police last year over allegations of historic child abuse.

Following a £2.25m revamp in 2004, it became a youth hostel but shut at the start of 2008 because of the inquiry.

From June the government-owned building will be used as military accommodation.

Mutual benefit

The States is allowing some sections to be reopened to visiting military groups on community projects and exercises as the Youth Hostel Association, which ran the building as a hostel, decided not to return following the police investigation.

A Territorial Army (TA) unit from the Royal Engineers is to be among the first to make use of the building when it reopens in early summer.

Senator Terry le Sueur, who supports the re-opening of Haut de la Garenne, said: "The accommodation could attract a steady flow of military visitors during the summer so both the island and the UK Armed Forces benefit from the arrangement."

However, it is not known how long the building will be used in this guise as there are calls to have it knocked down.

A report on the long-term future of the building is to be given to the Council of Ministers in April.