Island Plan 2011: approval (P.48/2011): thirty-seventh amendment (P.48/2011 Amd.(37)) – amendment.

STATES OF JERSEY

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ISLAND PLAN 2011: APPROVAL (P.48/2011): THIRTY-SEVENTH AMENDMENT (P.48/2011 Amd.(37)) – AMENDMENT

Lodged au Greffe on 10th May 2011 by the Deputy of St. Mary

STATES GREFFE

2011   Price code: A  P.48 Amd.(37)Amd.

ISLAND PLAN 2011: APPROVAL (P.48/2011): THIRTY-SEVENTH AMENDMENT (P.48/2011 Amd.(37)) – AMENDMENT

PAGE 5, Amendment (6) –

In the new Proposal 20 for the words "of a network of off-road footpaths, bridle paths and  cycle  routes  across  the  Island,  including  the  protection,  improvement  and expansion of the existing network" substitute the words "of networks for pedestrians, cyclists and horse-riders across the island, including the protection, improvement and expansion of existing networks or fragments".

DEPUTY OF ST. MARY

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P.48/2011 Amd.(37)Amd.

REPORT

If amended by this amendment the proposed Proposal 20 would read as follows –

"Proposal 20 – Island path network

The Minister for Planning and Environment will, in partnership with all other relevant  stakeholders,  seek  to  develop  a  plan  for  the  development  and maintenance of networks for pedestrians, cyclists and horse-riders across the island,  including  the  protection,  improvement  and  expansion  of  existing networks or fragments."

I wish to save the amendment of Deputy J.A.N. Le Fondré of St. Lawrence by making it feasible.

He  is  absolutely  correct  to  insist  that  the  goal  should  be  to  have  coherent  and transparent (i.e. people on them know where they are going) networks for the groups he mentions and to task the Minister with this goal.

However, he too has fallen into the apparently common trap of thinking that all provision must be off-road. For example, a set of radial commuting routes for cyclists into St. Helier has already been worked out, and the map already exists; it just needs some work on junctions, the map to be produced afresh, and awareness-raising work so that the public know that these safe cycling routes exist.

For walkers and horse-riders, we have the marvellous concept of Green Lanes as a basis for the networks proposed by the Deputy , why not use them?

Off-road may simply not be feasible, given the pressures on that scarcest of our resources, namely land. Issues of conflict between motorists and other users of minor roads can be tackled in an intelligent way, leading to a renaissance of the Green Lane concept and further opportunity for promotion to potential visitors.

Financial and manpower implications

There  are  no  additional  financial  or  manpower  implications  arising  from  this amendment to the thirty-seventh amendment.

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