Safer Routes to School works on Bagatelle Road

2025.10.21

4.3   Deputy P.F.C. Ozouf of St. Saviour of the Minister for Infrastructure regarding the Safer Routes to School works on Bagatelle Road (OQ.229/2025):

Will the Minister advise which head of expenditure in the Proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2026-2029 will be utilised to fund the Safer Routes to School works on Bagatelle Road; and what the total cost of this project is estimated to be?

Connétable A.N. Jehan of St. John (The Minister for Infrastructure):

I thank the Deputy for his question. It is important that we all take the necessary action to enhance road safety in the Island. The Safer Routes to School programme has been partially funded from the Car Park Trading Fund, which is allocated to support road safety and sustainable transport initiatives.   As such, it forms  part of the normal  revenue head of expenditure of the Infrastructure Department. This is supplemented by money from the Climate Emergency Fund, where schemes meet its criteria, as well as planning obligation agreement funding. Bagatelle Road is a multi-year programme of linked schemes at various stages of development. This year we have spent £570,000, including £300,000 from the Climate Emergency Fund, on a scheme development and construction, and this includes internal staff cost recharges. The value of the full remaining programme is estimated to be £2.3 million. This is currently unfunded and outside of the scale of funding that can be provided from the return to the Car Park Trading Fund. To be able to continue, an additional budget would need to be provided through the Government capital programme.

1. Deputy P.F.C. Ozouf :

I am grateful for the Minister to explain to the representatives of St. Saviour that the cost is £2.3 million. I was previously advised that it might be £1.3 million. Given the importance of this improvement for the safety of children and parents and visitors to St Saviour's School, and the proposed generous donation of land not in the States ownership in order to deal with this, would the Minister give any indication of when the school may see this, at least elements of the most important safety considerations, actually advanced? Is he saying that there is no prospect of it next year?

The Connétable of St. John :

I am not saying that at all. In fact, I am actively working with the Constable and the Education Department. We recently met at Grainville where we allocated parking for the school to use. We continue to work. The £1.3 million the Deputy refers to, I think, is for the St. Saviour's School field path, as it is referred to. Next year, we plan to do some enabling works. We have done extensive consultation this year, and we would hope to carry out works in 2027 and 2028.

2. Connétable K.C. Lewis of St. Saviour :

I thank the Minister for the 20 spaces allocated to St. Saviour School in the top end of Grainville. It is very helpful. As the Minister is well aware, most of the Island schools are in St. Saviour and, in particular, Bagatelle Road and the surrounding area. Will the Minister agree to reprioritise his budget for this year in order for this scaled-down project of an extra pathway opposite St. Saviour School to go ahead?

The Connétable of St. John :

We have done extensive work in the Parish of St. Saviour on traffic safety and road safety. This year we have spent significant funds opposite the Girls' College with a crossing. We continue to do that work. We are continuing to do the planning and we are going to carry out the works as soon as we practically can; the significant work planned for next year, including the enabling works.

3. The Connétable of St. Saviour :

I would be grateful if we could have a meeting with the Minister, myself as Constable, and St. Saviour Deputies to get the full updates on what is happening in the Parish.

The Connétable of St. John :

I would be happy to do that. The Constable will be aware that officers have tried to get on to the October Roads Committee agenda but have been unsuccessful, but I am available to meet with the Constable and the Deputies whenever.

4. Deputy L.M.C. Doublet of St. Saviour :

Could the Minister please outline what work could have been carried out or would have been carried out were the requested funding put into the Budget, please, in the St. Saviour School Action Plan?

The Connétable of St. John :

Members will be aware that for some of the work we will require planning permission. We have a whole process to go through. For next year, the enabling works and the detailed planning is the work that we will be undertaking to ensure that we can carry out works in 2027 and 2028.

5. Deputy L.M.C. Doublet :

Is it fair to say that the work is still going to happen, but it is just taking a little bit longer? The Connétable of St. John :

It is about priority, and we will be looking to do some further work at the southern end of Bagatelle Road in 2026 as part of the Les Varines scheme. We will continue to work the planning. I estimate we will be investing around £500,000 in road safety initiatives in and around the St. Saviour 's area.

6. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade :

Is any budget being put aside for the Safer Routes to School initiative to focus on green lanes, as many children use green lanes on the way to school, especially to safeguard against any excess speeding on those routes, which may be dangerous to children?

The Connétable of St. John :

I thank the Deputy for his question. Green lanes are essential, not only for cyclists but also for people walking. We have got a scheme that we believe would see considerable safety improvements in the Parish of St. Saviour . So far, unfortunately, the Roads Committee are unsupportive of making a road which is currently 2-way, a no-through road, but we will continue progressing.

7. Deputy M. Tadier :

Will the Minister give consideration to making sure that green lanes do become greener, so perhaps restricting certain lanes to residents only, perhaps even to bicycles, horses, pedestrians and, dare I say, electric vehicle, which of course can also speed but at least do not have any emissions.

The Connétable of St. John :

The Deputy will be aware that all of the green lanes are Parish by-roads and do not come under my Ministry. I am pleased to confirm that we have changed the design of the signs for green lanes, which reflect the Guernsey sign, which has a person walking, a person cycling and a person riding a horse, to try and bring that ambience to those green lanes.

8. Deputy P.F.C. Ozouf of St. Saviour :

Would the Minister accept that while on the one hand the road improvements, which he cites, taking up most of the time that he has answered the questions about schools, because as the Constable rightly says most schools are in St. Saviour and so all the works are absolutely necessary, but would the Minister understand why representatives of St. Saviour and the Constable and the municipal authorities feel very strongly about this Bagatelle Road improvement for the primary school? It is dangerous, it has been a problem for a long time. The work of the Parish has ensured that there is actually a solution there. I am not quite sure what the communication is because my Constable was actually looking rather unclear when you were saying that other things were being communicated with the Parish. Perhaps he would agree that it might be appropriate for all of the elected representatives to be able to support, with our Constable, the Minister in his decision-making so he is under no illusion that this is a very important and prioritised matter for our constituents.?

The Connétable of St. John :

As I said at the outset, road safety is vital that we all take seriously. This morning I was interviewed about road safety in St. Peter's, where people are ignoring signs for direction and speed. It is under all of our responsibilities to support those initiatives and do what we can. I have personally met with the Roads Committee of St. Saviour, who were not receptive to the ideas that we put forward to make it easier for people to commute to and from Bagatelle. Unfortunately, we are not able to get on to the October Roads Committee agenda. We are working with St. Saviour and Grouville to make it connectable. I will continue to pursue that, and I am more than happy, as I said earlier, to meet with the Constable and Deputies. I reiterate that, following a meeting with the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, myself and the Constable, we allocated 20 parking spaces to ease the congestion.

Deputy A.F. Curtis of St. Clement:

May I raise the défaut on Deputy Moore ?

The Deputy Bailiff :

Are Members content to raise the défaut on Deputy Moore ? The défaut is raised.