Deputy Kevin Lewis has signed a ministerial decision banning vehicles from parking at the site in St Ouen’s Bay for longer than 12 hours and has authorised changes to the car park which will restrict access to certain areas for larger vehicles.
Le Port car park, a popular spot for motorhome users, hit the headlines last year after St Peter Constable Richard Vibert said he had received ‘too many’ complaints about overcrowding and anti-social behaviour in the area.
The campervan community responded by claiming that troublemakers were a small minority and the community was respectful of the environment.
Paul Hymas, a spokesman for the Le Port campervan users, said that the minister’s decision was ‘out of the blue’ and made without speaking to them, despite assurances that ‘stakeholders’ would be consulted on any proposals for regulating the site.
A statement released by the Government of Jersey says: ‘Parking at Le Port, St Peter, has been restricted to 12 hours in order to deter vehicles from being left overnight or longer, and to create more spaces for Islanders to use the beach and nearby facilities.
‘Although camping or sleeping in a vehicle parked on public land is illegal, it has been informally tolerated by the parish authorities.
‘However, in recent years the popularity of camping in the area has grown to the point where the activities of some campers are causing problems for the honorary police at night.’
The minister’s decision was made following a request from Mr Vibert and will make the maximum permitted stay at Le Port 12 hours in any continuous 24-hour period, while the car park layout will be adjusted so that longer vehicles cannot access narrower areas.
Deputy Lewis said: ‘The use of the car park as a camping spot has created issues for St Peter.
‘These changes will assist the parish in properly regulating the area and ensuring that the car park is available to serve the needs of all users, particularly during peak summer months.’
Mr Hymas said, however, that there had been ‘no consultation or discussion’ with users of the area, despite assurances last year from Environment Minister John Young that there would be.
‘This is news to everyone and completely out of the blue. There’s been no consultation or discussion,’ he said.
‘This not a democratic decision and not the way I would expect a politician to behave. This decision will have a negative impact on many people’s lives who work hard and want to carry on enjoying Le Port as they have done for many years without all this trouble.
‘I would ask him to reconsider his decision and speak to the people at Le Port rather than impose rules that no one really wants. It really is unbelievable and a sad day for the people of Jersey.’
He added that he felt Mr Vibert had misled him over assurances that campervan users would be able to continue to use the site.
Last year Mr Hymas launched a petition calling for Jersey to introduce a free ‘aire’ French-style camping system in Jersey, which would allow locals to camp in designated areas around the Island for up to 48 hours.
Deputy Young responded to the petition by saying ministers and Constables would meet to discuss how the site was ‘best managed’ and review regulations and the potential use of other sites in the Island.
He also said that any proposals for the site ‘would be developed with stakeholder and community engagement’.
The parish of St Peter endorsed the use of Le Port car park as a site for campervan usage at a parish assembly attended by 250 people in 2014.
