Bobby Andrews, from the Chocolate Bar on Conway Street, says that no one has taken responsibility for Cross Street and that nothing will be done until people speak up.
He claims that the road, which runs between Hope Street and Conway Street, was almost permanently strewn with food, cigarette butts and other rubbish, which often attracted rats.
‘It really is a mess. I walk down the road every day – no one is taking responsibility for it,’ he said.
The sales assistant added that seagulls, attracted to rubbish dumped in the street, often defecated on the canopies of nearby shops. He said: ‘Why should it be allowed to be so filthy, we are selling food nearby – we do not want that. If people do not speak up then nothing will get done. It is the worst street in town.’
St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft said that as the road was privately owned, the parish were not able to take any action.
He said: ‘It has always been a problem but it has become much more noticeable now that we have invested large sums of money in the surrounding area – it really sticks out.
‘The only enforcement action that can be taken is by Environmental Health, as the road is private the parish has no jurisdiction.’
Mr Crowcroft added that the parish could ‘adopt’ the road – buying it for a nominal fee and then ensuring that it is maintained cleaned and lit.
He said: ‘We have had approaches in the past from people wanting us to adopt it but the problem is that there are a number of different people who own it and some of them do not want to give it up.
‘The businesses who own it can park on that road for free and I would not want to adopt a car park.’
Stewart Petrie, director of Environmental Health, confirmed that his department had received complaints about the street in the past. He said: ‘We do have powers to act if there is a health issue involved. However, if it just does not look pretty it would be a matter for the Environment Department’s waste management officers.
‘If there is an accumulation of rubbish and it is attracting vermin we can serve notice on a landowner to get it cleared up and we have done that on this street in the past.’
He added: ‘We will take action but we do not go round inspecting every road in the Island, people need to tell us.
‘Off the top of my head we have had four complaints about Cross Street in the last two years, one of them included a relatively serious rat infestation. We raised it with the property owners and it was dealt with fairly quickly.’
*Do you know of a dirtier street? If so email etaylor@jerseyeveningpost.com.
