Yes, we want a town park

From Laura Storey, chairman, Town Residents Rejuvenation Association.

WE read with interest the article (JEP, 26 February) in which the Chief Minister said that it had always been necessary to replace parking spaces lost on the town park site with new spaces elsewhere. We would like to remind the Chief Minister that the petition bearing 16,000 signatures which was presented to the States on 2 December 1997 said that there was ‘substantial public support for a public town park with an underground car park’.

Consequently, while it has always been necessary to replace the parking spaces lost, the people of Jersey who signed the petition understood that this need had been addressed in the proposed provision for underground parking. Now to say that the delay in the delivery of the town park is due to various Members opposing the redevelopment of Ann Court into a multi-storey car park is nonsense.

It is in fact due to the States cherry-picking from the demands of Islanders and only delivering on half of what people wanted. Had the States followed through on the 1997 petition, and delivered a town park with underground parking, they would not be finding themselves in this position.

Since the beginning of February, a petition has been running against the proposed redevelopment of Ann Court into a multi-storey car park. In this short time, 2,200 people have signed it.

Opposition to the redevelopment of Ann Court into a multi-storey car park comes on a number of levels, from both residents and road users. By way of comparison, Pier Road car park has 738 spaces and the proposed Ann Court car park will be even larger at 794. It will lead to unimaginable gridlock in an area that already suffers from traffic congestion and will cause misery to road users.

Added to this, the site is in a densely populated area that will not only expose residents to air and noise pollution, but will also increase road safety issues given the number of children living in the area.

The Chief Minister has been criticised for failing to create a master plan for the area, and thus failing to address the dual needs to provide a park and create replacement parking. Within this failure to create a master plan, he has also neglected the needs of the residents of the town centre who will be subjected day and night to the repercussions of poor planning decisions.

There are numerous options to be considered to address the spaces being lost on the surface area at Gas Place, many of them highlighted by Environment Minister Freddie Cohen as reported in the JEP on 20 February.

Senator Le Sueur should stop blaming his Members for the delay in bringing the town park project to fruition and start listening to the people of Jersey. We requested a town park, but not at the expense of our quality of life.

There are alternative solutions that will benefit users of the town park, road users, and, not least, town residents who continually get an unfair deal. The Chief Minister should listen to what the electorate want.

32 Providence Street,

St Helier.