Letter - EHI - Minister for Infrastructure - 25 March 2025

Government of Jersey

Union Street | St Helier | Jersey | JE2 3DN

Deputy Hilary Jeune

Chair, Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Panel

BY EMAIL

25th March 2025 Dear Chair,

Re: Engagement and consultation on changes to traffic flow

Thank you for your letter of 11th March in relation to engagement and consultation on changes to traffic flow and associated trials.

The legal requirements for temporary modification of traffic flows are set in the Road Traffic (Jersey) Law 1956. An Order made under Article 68 may temporarily modify Orders made under Articles 59 (Parking places), 62 (Restrict use of roads by vehicles), or 63 (Designation of pay parking places) for the purposes of a trial or other initiative. This requires consultation with the relevant Parish and two notices to be placed in the Jersey Gazette seven days preceding the date of effect.

Beyond this statutory minimum, the level of appropriate engagement varies according to the needs, complexity, and impact of the scheme on road users and the neighbouring and wider island community. Thus, each project communication plan is developed as a bespoke product. Some small traffic management interventions can have a large impact, whereas other larger schemes can have minimal effect, thus a one size fits approach would not be appropriate.

The simplest way to illustrate this is to consider the communication plans of a recent typical project, as below.

Example - Bagatelle Safer Routes to School

The Bagatelle Safer Routes to School project includes numerous proposals to make it safer for children to walk, cycle, and take the bus to school. The proposals deliver on the commitments set out in the ‘Sustainable Transport Policy: Next Steps’ and aim to be delivered in phases over the next few years.

The Bagatelle Safer Routes to School schemes are being introduced in response to the Bagatelle Road safer routes to school island wide engagement carried out in 2022, an example of how the Department uses community feedback to inform the development of schemes. This engagement highlighted that respondents wished to see a reduction in the volume of traffic, better and more crossing points, and a safer road environment. The trial schemes have been developed working with key stakeholders including the nearby schools and the relevant Parish authorities.

From this engagement, various traffic engineering, behavioural change and public transport options were reviewed through a prefeasibility study that would address the concerns raised through the engagement survey. This included engagement with major stakeholders, such as the schools.

These were then brought forward for discussion with the relevant parish, depending on where the engineering intervention would be situated, and which road authority would be responsible for final decision making (see Appendix A)

Then, where parish support has been received, a process is commenced to instigate a trial in order to ascertain the performance or otherwise of the measure.

Fig 1. Leaflet explaining proposals to the public and interested partie

Example - Clarence Road

To trial a safer space for children and adults walking and cycling to school, the Government is proposing to introduce a traffic restriction on Clarence Road at its junction with Pleasant Street, Grosvenor Street and College Hill. In this instance, the Minister for Infrastructure is the Roads Authority and the final decision maker but must consult with the Parish because of the effect upon its neighbouring roads and residents.

Fig 2. Clarance Road Proposed Project Timeline and Communications

Notice was provided to residents in the vicinity of the safer routes to school trial interventions six weeks ahead of the proposed trial. The relevant scheme leaflet was letter dropped to approximately 2,100 homes and businesses inviting comment via email or through the local drop- in sessions and was further publicised through social media and the Government’s Safer Schools Zones website. The leaflets were also distributed by the schools to parents.

Fig 3. Map showing zones for the letter drop.

Fig 4. Leaflet to public detailing proposed changes to Clarance Rd, scheme monitoring and programme.

Drop-in Sessions

The covering letter accompanying the information leaflet sent to the households invited any interested person to attend a series of drop-in exhibitions, where I&E transport and road safety professionals would be available to answer questions about the trial proposals directly.

The purpose of this engagement is to understand whether there are any issues that would need minor modifications to the proposals, gain feedback on public concerns that can be monitored during the trial operation and assist people to fully understand the scheme aims.

It is important to keep in mind that at this stage the trail has not been commenced and so comment received is generally conjecture, as opposed to empirical observation. This is the reason why the drop-in sessions are engagement rather than consultation.

In respect of the proposed Clarence Road trial, I have also attended a public meeting with residents, at their request, to discuss concerns they have regarding the trial scheme and to explore and consider other potential options. This was a very helpful and constructive meeting and, it needs to be emphasised, could very well lead to us adopting an alternative option for the trial to create a safer space for children and adults walking and cycling to school. This is an exemplar of our engagement in action.

Clarance Road Scheme Monitoring

The scheme impacts will be monitored over the trial period. This will allow the measures to settle in and for changes in travel patterns and behaviours to become apparent so that an informed decision can be made. Adjustments may be necessary to take account of real-world feedback within the trail period.

In the case of Clarance Road, the Department will conduct pedestrian and traffic/speed counts outside VCP and have installed an automated live traffic counter at the junction of College Hill with Le Mont Millais to understand the impact of the scheme on general traffic, pedestrian and cycle levels before and during the scheme trial, as well as undertaking observations around the wider network.

As is normal the Department would expect to receive comments throughout the trial, on occasion these may result in the measures being adjusted. The comments received are included in the project evaluation report.

Post Trial Consultation

Towards the end of the trail period, once the measures have settled and as reliable quantitative data becomes available, a public consultation survey will be issued to receive feedback and qualitative data of the perceived success of the trial or otherwise.

This information will then be compiled into a project evaluation report to in decision making. For a one-year trial, evaluation needs to be carried out at around nine months so that engagement with the parish authorities to inform the final ministerial decision can be progressed.

Clarance Road Evaluation Report and Decision Making

The evaluation report will be used for discussion with the Parish and the Minister, before recommendations are made by officers as how to proceed. This may include further public consultation events, before a final ministerial decision is made.

The evaluation report would then be published on www.gov.je with the final decision, setting out the process, quantitative data collected and qualitative data received, with the rationale for the final decision.

Other recent examples that resulted in schemes of various scale include:

1. Trinity Village Improvement scheme (see pages 21 – 31 for consultation process and results)
2. St John’s Village Improvement Scheme (see pages 2 – 23 for consultation process and

results)

I hope you find this information of use and we will be able to provide the Panel with further information during the hearing taking place on the 9th April.

Yours sincerely

Constable Andy Jehan Minister for Infrastructure

APPENDIX A - Bagatelle Safer Routes to School – Clarence Road - PoSH Presentation