ST BRELADE
Coastal protection
The proposed improvement plan for St Brelade’s Bay in the planning policies approved earlier this year remains a proposal. As the former Chairman of a Parish Working Party that tried to advance the proposal for a local development plan in the now superseded Island Plan, I am keenly aware how many formal planning proposals are not implemented owing to a lack of government resources and a decision by the Minister for Environment with more pressing priorities.
During the recent planning policy review, Constable Mike Jackson presented to the States Assembly propositions I drafted to protect St Brelade’s visitor economy and the Island’s wider economy.
This resulted in:
- further restrictions on residential expansion on the Bay’s seafront
- landscaping improvement policies for the Bay’s seafront and parts of Ouaisné.
Disappointingly, only one out of our three Parish Deputies supported additional propositions to support and protect the Bay’s visitor economy.
If elected, and a more sympathetic Minister for Economic Development is appointed and the Bridging Island Plan further revised as planned, I will push for the consultants’ recommendations to be better respected and for the Economic Development Department to conduct a more thorough investigation of any alleged unfair hardship issues.
Vandalism
Vandalism has been an unfortunate problem in St Brelade.
Government initiatives to improve family support may be of future assistance as may police and Jersey Youth Service talks in schools. A dialogue, about whether local youth facilities could be of more service in this area, would also be helpful.
The late former Minister for Home Affairs began investigating the possibility of addressing anti-social behaviour for under-18s through the Parish Hall Enquiry (PHE) system last year.
I would support greater investment in cameras to assist in policing and the imposition of community service orders through the PHE system where there is clear visual evidence of under-18-year-old anti-social behaviour, provided the Children’s Commissioner’s recommendations published in her Youth Justice Report at the end of last year are respected.