Availability of residential parking at Beaumont

20.11.17

13 Deputy K.F. Morel of the Minister for Infrastructure regarding the availability of

residential parking at Beaumont (OQ.339/2020):

Does the Minister have any plans to undertake a review of the availability of residential parking at Beaumont, particularly for those who live on Route de La Haule and the surrounding area and, if not, why not?

Deputy K.C. Lewis (The Minister for Infrastructure):

The Sustainable Transport Policy adopted by the States Assembly in March this year has required me to undertake a parking plan to identify a blueprint for the future outlines of how Jersey manages the car parking demand. This piece of work will have an Island-wide scope and it will feature parking at Beaumont and Route de La Haule and the surrounding area, as requested.

1. Deputy K.F. Morel :

With increased housing being built at Beaumont it is clear that residents are challenged for parking. While the Sustainable Transport Policy may be an excellent general document, will the Minister confirm to the Assembly that he will look particularly at the needs of the Beaumont area for their residents?

Deputy K.C. Lewis :

Absolutely. Most of this will come under the Minister for Planning in the sense that when buildings are put up that there should be adequate parking there or bike racks or similar. Policy T.T. (Travel and Transport) 13, there is a protection of the highway network which prohibits certain routes being made on to the highway from private residences but I cannot talk about individual cases but this is something that is ongoing.

2. Deputy M. Tadier :

Could the Minister talk more generally, but including obviously the area in question, about what the policy is and what he thinks it should be when it comes to cars being able to park routinely on main roads?

Deputy K.C. Lewis :

If the Deputy is talking about Route de La Haule, then that would be out of the question because it is a major artery going to the west. But off-road parking is provided behind the Goose on the Green and that particular area, which is a public access area.

3. Deputy M. Tadier :

There are many main roads in Jersey, I could cite a few, for example, St. Aubin's Inner Road, St. Clement 's Inner Road, the Coast Road on Grouville , where cars park routinely on main roads and they are allowed to do it and parking is free in some of those places. How does the Minister decide whether a main road allows parking or whether it is a freeway and particularly in the context of La Haule?

Deputy K.C. Lewis :

I am advised by my highway officers within Infrastructure who have all the plans and all the roadworks on every major road throughout the Island. Obviously it is not such a problem with Parish roads but on main roads in certain areas it can be a problem. There are certain pinch points where it would be unrealistic to have parking there. But we like to obviously help people out wherever we can, which was why the parking was not removed on the St. Aubin's Inner Road. But obviously the major road, it does take a tremendous amount of traffic and some roads do not have sufficient width to allow parking on either side.

4. Senator S.C. Ferguson:

I understand that there was some time ago plans for a bypass round St. Aubin, round the Beaumont roundabout, and I am not sure whether the land was bought or whether the people owning it are holding on to it so that it could be used for a more circulatory system, more like the bottom of Trinity Hill. Basically, if we got that into place

The Bailiff :

Senator, I am sorry, this does have to be a question. You have set up a number of propositions, we have tight time, could you formulate your question, please?

Senator S.C. Ferguson:

Yes, I am sorry, I did but yes, there is the availability of land which could incorporate extra parking in the Beaumont roundabout area; why has that not been looked at again?

Deputy K.C. Lewis :

Yes, I am aware of the scheme the Senator is talking about. It was basically to bear left towards St. Aubin, cut through the housing area there and to loop back on to the bottom of Beaumont Hill and creating a one-way system. This was mooted several years ago. I do not believe any land was purchased on that but the ideals were there. Some bits of land have been built on but not all. It is still a feasibility thing but I believe officers advised against it because it would leave the houses in the middle basically on an island, which would be very unfair. There were many, many reasons against it, which I will need to refresh my memory on. But I will drop a line to the Senator informing her of the outcome of that project.

5. Deputy R.E. Huelin of St. Peter :

We are clearly getting pinch points in parking at Beaumont, which was highlighted in a recent planning application. This has been magnified with the Dandara developments on Goose Green. May I ask the Minister if he will urgently take a look at the unique circumstances that are brewing at Beaumont and try and come up with a resolution for the residents that are suffering from the lack of parking?

Deputy K.C. Lewis :

Indeed, the developments on the Goose Green site there, the apartment blocks were built with underground parking and/or outside parking and at least one space was provided for every single apartment there. Plus the developers, Dandara, also contributed £32,000 to the bus service, which pays for a lot of the bus shelters, et cetera, and also £125,000 for associated highway works. There were contributions made to the area. But it is not very realistic that we would provide everybody in the Beaumont area with a car parking space. We do not have the land or the money to do that but we try and assist people wherever we can.

6. The Deputy of St. Peter :

That is the question behind this, will he please review and come and have a look at Beaumont to look at some of the unique circumstances and individual circumstances where people may need that support? I am aware of the Dandara parking and I am aware of the contributions they are making.

Deputy K.C. Lewis :

Yes, as I have said in my original answer, there is a parking plan being developed which will be a blueprint for future parking, which will include the Beaumont area.

7. Deputy K.F. Morel :

Just continuing from that parking plan that is being developed, would the Minister entertain the idea, as part of that parking plan, providing certain spaces for residents, not individually named but in a similar way that operates in St. Helier where they have a residential parking scheme?

Deputy K.C. Lewis :

I will put that into the mix, absolutely. I know there are several houses on Route De Beaumont, who for various reasons of dangerous exit, if you like, on to Route De Beaumont would not be permitted to put in private driveways. I will certainly take note of that.