Last week Ports of Jersey announced that the 114-metre-long metal and plastic fence around Gibraltar rock is to be lowered and at least partly covered by shrubs after it was criticised by heritage campaigners and Environment Minister Steve Luce.
Doug Bannister, the organisation’s chief executive, stressed that the fence was erected following concerns about rockfalls, but conceded they ‘could have done better’ on the project.
Now Christopher Scholefield, from Save Jersey’s Heritage, who was among those who criticised the fence, has welcomed the move to reduce its visual impact.
‘I am particularly pleased that a body like Ports of Jersey is willing to make a change after receiving an adverse reaction from the public, because all too often these organisations just dig their heels in. It is pleasing that Ports of Jersey have taken a more flexible approach,’ he said.
‘It was also probably a result of them looking back on their handiwork and realising that they didn’t like it much either. I believe it was only put up in the first place because of advice Ports got from their insurers.
‘This seems to be an increasingly common occurrence, and we are getting into a situation where our physical environment is being designed by insurers whose only concern is the fear of paying out,’ he added.
Mr Scholefield encouraged other States departments to follow Ports’ example by covering other unsightly structures, such as multi-storey car parks, with vegetation.
‘If eyesores like these were covered in vegetation, like they are in some other places, it would have two benefits: it would make it look a lot nicer and it would improve the quality of the air we breathe,’ he said.
