New school and expanded Millennium Town Park

WQ.32/2026

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE BY DEPUTY D.J. WARR OF ST. HELIER SOUTH

QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 9th FEBUARY 2026 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 16th FEBUARY 2026

Question

"Further to the intention to create a new primary school on the former Jersey Gas site, and in relation to the contrary consideration of an expanded Millennium Town Park, will the Minister advise whether any of the following assessments have been undertaken and, if so, will he publish the results –

1. the total number of households within 400 metres of the site, including a breakdown of household make-up;
2. the anticipated traffic impact of a new school on St. Helier 's road network, including air quality levels in surrounding streets; and
3. an estimate of the number of potential users by age group of an expanded Town Park, including those living outside the radius of 400 metres, visitors, shoppers and office workers?"

Answer

I refer Deputy Warr to the  comments  paper presented  by the  Council of Ministers  in response  to P.45/2025 and recommend that he reads it in full.

I nevertheless quote from the comments paper: Households data

The Council of Ministers do not agree that it would be a good use of limited resources to commission data collection, collation and analysis of households living within 400 metres of the site. As described above, extensive demographic analysis has already been undertaken to assess and confirm the need for the school. The Millenium Town Park will remain for enjoyment by all nearby residents and those who live further afield. The new school will also deliver improved and safer access to Millenium Park through to St Saviour's Road.

I further quote: Traffic Impacts

Sustainable transport will be a feature of the planning application process and alongside the Safer Routes to School Initiative and active travel plans, any traffic impacts can be minimised. Previous surveys do confirm that the majority of pupils already walk to their town primary schools.

I can confirm that similar types of assessments to those identified in (b) would be scoped into a transport assessment, in accordance with the Bridging Island Plan's requirements, that would accompany a planning application for a new school and thus be put into the public domain for comment prior to determination. Until a planning application is made this work would remain policy under development.

It is the policy of this Government, as it was the policy of the last Government of which Deputy Warr was a member, to build a new primary school at Gas Place. Accordingly, I am not aware that policy work has been commissioned by this Government, or was commissioned by the last Government, in respect of (c).