The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
2.13 Deputy T.M. Pitman of the Minister for Housing regarding the provision of adequate safe play areas for children in States Housing developments:
Can the Minister give assurances that efforts will be made to ensure that all States Housing developments are provided with adequate safe play areas for children as a matter of urgency?
Deputy A.K.F. Green of St. Helier (The Minister for Housing):
I would like to see play areas on many of our estates, where appropriate. But I cannot give assurances that all States housing developments will have a play area provided. There are a number of pertinent considerations which have to be taken into account. These include the availability of land and or facilities that lend themselves to that provision or conversion, the dynamic of the resident population on the estate, consultation with representative tenant associations, planning consent in some cases and the availability of funding.
2.13.1 Deputy T.M. Pitman:
I thank the Minister for his answer and I know he is committed to this. Indeed we visited a site just the other week. Does the Minister agree, I am sure that he will, that a small amount of investment in young people now can save a fortune in the long term with regards to vandalism or perhaps avoiding accidents?
[11:15]
So, when we have areas that just perhaps need fencing around them, that given his £27 million windfall the other week, if there is any spare change from that, could he channel some of that into those areas?
Deputy A.K.F. Green:
I do agree that investment in our young people is important and pays dividends very often. Throughout the development of our estates, we have found that working with the community is key. We have had evidence of this and its successful provision of safe play areas at Clos St. André, at Le Geyt and La Collette. As the Deputy referred to, we are working together with the residents of the Cedars where we met with the District Deputies and the delightful young people in the Cedars and I hope to provide a facility for them if we can.