St. Clement - pedestrian improvements

STATES OF JERSEY

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ST.  CLEMENT: PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS

Lodged au Greffe on 14th September 2004 by Deputy G.C.L. Baudains of St. Clement

STATES GREFFE

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

(a ) to make improvements to pedestrian facilities in St.  Clement, in particular at –

(1 ) R u e de Jambart;

(2 ) L a G rande Route de la Côte, between Rue de Jambart and Rue du Hocq;

(3 ) L a G rande Route de St. Clément from Rue de Jambart to La Rue de La Houguette;

( b ) t o  provide  pavements  where  none  currently  exist  and  to  improve  others  as  outlined  in  the

penultimate paragraph of the attached Report dated 14th September 2004;

( c ) t o request  the  Environment and  Public  Services  Committee to carry  out the  work  listed  in

paragraphs (a) and (b) above;

(d ) to fund the improvements from the Urban Renewal Fund.

DEPUTY G.C.L. BAUDAINS OF ST. CLEMENT

REPORT

Over recent years there have been many alterations to the pavements and streets in St.  Helier, sponsored mainly from the Urban Renewal fund.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to identify the benefit of some of these alterations, especially the later ones, which appear to be merely cosmetic and more anti-car than pro-pedestrian. For instance it is difficult to see how a widened pavement benefits a pedestrian when it is narrowed again to its original width by the placing of cannons'.

It could also be said that these improvements, if that's what they are, benefit the parishioners and traders of St.  Helier and should be paid for by that parish.

Regardless of the benefits or otherwise of altering St.  Helier's streets, large sums of money have been expended on them and I believe the funding could be put to better use improving pavements in parishes such as St.  Clement, where substantial development over recent decades has meant that the existing infrastructure is now stretched beyond acceptable limits.

At the time of writing, the Urban Renewal fund has a balance of approximately £1.9 million and I see no reason why some of that should not be put to good use in the increasingly urbanised parish of St. Clement.

Members will not need reminding of the amount of social housing that has been built in St.  Clement over the last few decades. In the last Island Plan alone, our parish, despite being the smallest of the twelve by some margin, took more rezoning than any other.

Unfortunately, with this rezoning little or no attention was paid to the increased pressure on the parish's already overloaded infrastructure.

The Environment and Public Services Committee of the day appeared to have no regard for St.  Clement's infrastructure when it approved the plans for the building of a housing estate off Rue de Jambart.

What I am now requesting is that with the imposition of all this extra development comes a responsibility to ensure the infrastructure is adequate.

In the case of Jambart, it clearly is not. Rue de Jambart has no pavement for much of its length. More worryingly, the busy main roads at either end lack pavements in vital places. On the coast road, there is little pavement between Rue de Jambart and Rue du Hocq.

I tried to persuade the Planning Committee a while ago to install a pavement west of Pontac slip, but without success, apparently due to covenant problems. I was even advised it would create a danger to pedestrians!

I'm sure these obstacles could be overcome if there was a will to do so.

Pedestrians take their lives in their hands walking between Rue de Jambart and Le Hocq.

Likewise, at the northern end of Rue de Jambart, the main road (Grande Route de St.  Clément) has inadequate pavement. Opposite the church, it is barely one foot wide. This is the road children will be using to get from the new estate to St.  Clement Primary and Le Rocquier Schools.

There is an urgent need for pavements in these 2 areas to be either installed or, where existing, improved and I would wish the Environment and Public Services Committee to attend to this without delay.

I would also like an inventory made of all stretches of main road in St.  Clement where no pavement currently exists with a view to providing pavement whenever opportunity occurs, such as when development takes place.

There are no additional financial or manpower implications for the States arising from this proposition.

14th September 2004