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.
2.8 The Connétable of St. Helier of the Minister for Transport and Technical Services regarding the abandonment of plans for an extension to Green Street car park:
Would the Minister explain why previous plans for an extension to the Green Street car park have been abandoned in favour of allowing the relocation of the police station on part of the site?
Deputy K.C. Lewis (The Minister for Transport and Technical Services):
Firstly I would note that I am not the sponsoring Minister for the project to develop a police station at Green Street car park and the land does not belong to T.T.S. but rather the States of Jersey. Regardless of this I can confirm that an option to extend Green Street car park was considered approximately a decade ago. I believe this was not progressed past the feasibility stage due to funding constraints at that time and no plans as such were produced.
- The Connétable of St. Helier :
Could I perhaps press the Minister and ask him whether he feels an extension to Green Street car park would fit in with this parking strategy being a very popular and well situated car park to service the town?
Deputy K.C. Lewis :
I think parking provision for town is absolutely essential and should this project go ahead approximately 517 parking spaces would remain at Green Street car park following the proposed works and so the site would remain a large and important parking facility for the east of town.
- Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier:
Would the Minister confirm that he is going to bring pressure to bear upon the Constable of St. Helier in order to review the impact of the residential parking scheme which has drastically reduced the number of available parking spaces?
Deputy K.C. Lewis :
I would not dream of putting pressure on my good friend and colleague the Constable of St. Helier , but I am more than willing to work with the Constable of St. Helier to locate, find and utilise any parking spaces in town.
- Deputy M.R. Higgins:
Just a point of clarification from the Minister. He mentioned how many car parking spaces are going to remain, how many car parking spaces will be lost if the police station is constructed there?
Deputy K.C. Lewis : That would be 91.
- Deputy G.P. Southern :
I am glad to hear that the Minister will be working with the Constable to examine possible increased parking spaces in town. Will he, in particular, examine with the Constable the possibility of Meccano style, if necessary temporary, buildings to meet the increased demand for car parking in town and in what timescale?
Deputy K.C. Lewis :
Open to all ideas and the timescale is as soon as possible.
- Senator L.J. Farnham :
Would the Minister agree that there is an opportunity now, given the vital importance of getting on with relocating the police station that an opportunity exists to re-examine the Green Street car park with a view to enlarging it and creating more spaces, and perhaps a project that could be carried out at the same time as the rebuild of the police station, although providing a short term loss of parking space could produce more parking spaces and provide very good value for money if dealt with as part of the same project?
Deputy K.C. Lewis :
Absolutely, that indeed is being looked at among many other ideas.
- Deputy J.M. Maçon of St. Saviour :
Does the Minister find himself slightly bemused by this question in that both he and the Constable of St. Helier both supported the draft Island Plan with its reduction in parking spaces, and indeed the sustainable transport policy which also advocated the reduction of parking spaces?
Deputy K.C. Lewis :
I would not say I am bemused. We traders in turn have to work, eat and live. We all come into town from time and time and business has to thrive. We are trying to reduce it, we are improving the bus service with our Connex partners at the moment, week after week more ideas are coming on, more buses are coming on line and we need to reduce traffic flows into town. Many ideas are coming forward which we are looking at.
- The Connétable of St. Helier :
Would the Minister agree with me that the Island Plan proposed the reduction in traffic levels, not a reduction in parking for shoppers and residents, and would he further agree with me that the resident's parking scheme was initially advanced by the Public Services Committee of the day under the former Constable of St. Helier and it is a policy that has been supported by successive Assemblies?
Deputy K.C. Lewis :
Absolutely. It is going back some time, I am not sure, maybe 10 years, maybe more, but I would agree on that point with the Constable of St. Helier . But I repeat, I am more than happy to work with the Constable of St. Helier to increase parking capacity. There is, incidentally, a spare capacity of at least 250 spaces daily at Pier Road which can be utilised.