The committee gave its backing at a meeting this week to the plans to widen the road around the English and French Harbours. The scheme proposes to build out over the slipways at the English Harbours to create the new path.
The granite work would be in the same style as the existing walls, but all the existing granite and slipway cobbles would be left intact behind and beneath the new structures.
This week the committee, which is chaired by Constable Simon Crowcroft, agreed the scheme, but the plans still have to be approved by Planning before any work can start.
John Stievenard, director of Technical and Environmental Services for St Helier, said: ‘The committee supported it, but there were concerns about part of the road behind the old La Folie Inn as we don’t know if it might get developed or not. The committee wanted to ensure the road would be future-proofed.’
He said that the committee wanted to avoid a situation where money was spent on the cycle track and then the route might have to be moved if there was a development at La Folie Inn.
Mr Stievenard said that the committee would put their comments to the Planning department before it determines the application.
Last week(14dec) Transport director Tristen Dodd told the JEP why the work was necessary. He said: ‘The Commercial Buildings area is used by more than 1,000 vehicles every week day, many of which are heavy goods vehicles going to and from the La Collette industrial area. There is currently no road-side footpath at the English and French Harbours on the side of the road where the facilities are, and there are no pedestrian crossings at Commercial Buildings except a new pedestrian refuge island by the cement silos at La Collette.’
He said that the States’ sustainable transport policy aimed to provide facilities to encourage walking and cycling.
‘This project will provide the last link in a chain of schemes that together will provide a safe route between Havre des Pas and West Park,’ said Mr Dodd. ‘Off-road cycle routes to the west of the Island allow onward connections to St Aubin, Les Quennevais and Corbière, as well as the Airport and St Peter’s Village.’
