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.
WQ.214/2021
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT BY DEPUTY I. GARDINER OF ST. HELIER
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON TUESDAY 4th MAY 2021 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 11th MAY 2021
Question
Will the Minister advise whether the St. Helier Open Space Survey of 2018 included analysis of access to open spaces in relation to specific areas of St. Helier – for example, by Vingtaine, the Ring Road, the North of Town; and, if so, will he provide a breakdown of the quality standards and access standards in all such areas in relation to the 5 typologies, namely parks, play space, outdoor sports facility, amenity greenspace and natural greenspace?
Answer
The St Helier Open Space Audit (2018), has been based by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) Open space strategies: Best practice guidance, and is based on an assessment of the availability, accessibility and quality of different types of open space for the whole of the Town of St Helier, and not specific parts of it.
The methodology for the study can be found at Appendix 1 of the report. The spatial basis of assessment is clearly described and illustrated in the report and is based on the definition of the Town of St Helier, as set out in the 2011 Island Plan, which includes parts of the parishes of St Helier, St Saviour and St Clement, and covers an area of approximately two square miles.
The methodology set out in the CABE guidance suggests that the quantity of open space should be expressed as the area per thousand population for a local authority (in the UK context) as a whole, but that it may also be appropriate to examine levels of provision within a local authority area, particularly where there may be a differentiation between urban and rural areas. It also suggests that in areas where there are distinct settlements, these might provide an appropriate basis for analysis, and this is the approach that has been adopted for the St Helier study.
Whilst this work does not contain analysis at a more detailed spatial level, it does map all of the open space provision across St Helier and assesses this relative to accessibility standards. By doing so, it can be seen where different parts of the town enjoy varying levels of provision and access to different types of open space, and more importantly, where there are areas of potential deficiency. It is useful to categorise open space by function, such as play space or sports facility so that deficiencies can be identified, but it is also important to recognise that most open spaces serve a variety of functions, particularly in urban areas.
In terms of quality of open space, there are no defined standards to generally measure the performance of open spaces against. The quality aspects of open space are dependent on a variety factors such as location, function and accessibility in addition to on-site amenities, maintenance and sometimes social influences such as crime or perception of crime in an area. The 2018 audit makes some commentary on the quality of spaces that have been audited. More broadly, there is an international accreditation scheme, The Green Flag Award' that recognises and rewards well managed parks and green spaces.
An application must be made before an award is granted. Three parks in Jersey have been awarded green flag status: Howard Davis Park, Coronation Park and Sir Winston Churchill Park in St Brelade.