MILLBROOK Playing Fields will have its own area of sand dunes, an amphitheatre and bike pump track, if Planning agree.
The Infrastructure Department has applied for permission to upgrade the L-shaped fields, which were gifted to Islanders by an anonymous benefactor in 2022.
A portion of the land was then handed over to the next-door St Matthew’s Church, which last April received permission to build a new community hall south of the church.
The plans for the rest of the field – which housed the temporary Nightingale Hospital during the pandemic – include laying a hoggin pathway around the perimeter, landscaping to include sand dunes and a ‘nature play’ area, access improvements from Coronation Park, Victoria Avenue and the Inner Road onto the fields; and an undulating, tarmacked ‘pump track’ close to Victoria Avenue.
In a statement accompanying the application, the Infrastructure Department states: “The proposed development seeks to enhance Coronation Park Playing Fields as well as formally connect the site to Coronation Park and improve other access points.
“The proposals should be reviewed collectively as they all complement each other to unlock and form Coronation Park Playing Fields, which was donated to the People of Jersey in 2022 for recreational use and improvements to public spaces, for the benefit of the Island.
“It is hoped the community will utilise the space once it is formally connected, with the large open green space used for ball games, running and playing games. The sand dunes will encourage natural play and enhance habitats and the Island’s first purpose-built pump track will entice more footfall to the park.”
The application includes seeking consent to replace the current temporary fence delineating the boundary between the church and the park with a permanent one.
The proposed small amphitheatre sits in the south-western corner of the parcel of land gifted to the Glass Church. The application states: “The amphitheatre offers a modest yet functional scale, comfortably accommodating up to 60 people for church gatherings and community events.
“Its design uses the proposed contours of the site, reducing visual impact and creating shelter from prevailing coastal winds. The new dune along the southern edge serves a dual purpose: it reinforces the sense of enclosure and privacy while acting as a soft boundary between Government of Jersey land and St Matthew’s Church land.”
The application adds that the pump track will be a “continuous looped undulating circuit designed for bicycles, scooters, balance bikes and other wheeled sports equipment.
“The track will be located at the southwest area of the playing fields and aims to provide a safe, inclusive and progressive recreational facility for children and other users of varying skill levels.”
The next-door Coronation Park was gifted to the Island by Florence Boot (née Rowe) in the late 1930s in memory of her late husband Jesse, Lord Trent, founder of Boots, the chemist.
The Boot family was also instrumental in the rebuilding of St Matthew’s Church, with its unique installation of glasswork by their acquaintance René Lalique.
The fields will be called “Coronation Park Playing Fields” once the formal connection between the two open spaces has been made.
