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£15,000 is to be spent on bollards and kerbs to formalise parking arrangements along the Five Mile Road after complaints about sun-seeking illegal parkers springing up with each heatwave.
St. Peter’s Honorary Police first called out the “ludicrous” numbers of drivers blocking footpaths around Le Braye as temperatures soared one weekend in May 2020 following the relaxation of lockdown measures, leading to nearly 20 fines.
In one instance, they said an islander and his wheelchair-using daughter were forced to go on the road.
But, despite the warning that it was illegal to park there, the problem continued to escalate in line with temperatures.
By August, St. Brelade’s Parking Control Officer said he had issued nearly 40 parking infraction notices in a single weekend, on top of those issued by St. Peter.
St. Brelade’s Constable, Mike Jackson, told Express at the time that some individuals were parking along footpaths even when there were spaces available. He wrote to Infrastructure Minister Deputy Kevin Lewis to complain about roadside parking along La Grande Route des Mielles.
To address the issue, Deputy Lewis has now signed off on an official decision to spend £15,000 on sorting out problem parking 400m north of Le Braye Slip and the junction with Chemin des Basses Mielles, where there is a pedestrian beach access, known colloquially as ‘the chicken wire’, and "its conflict with other road users and pedestrians using the area."
Pictured: It is illegal to use a vehicle in the area in red according to the Policing of Parks Law.
A report accompanying the decision made on Friday notes: “It is understood that this is mainly in the summer at weekends when the other car parks are full.
“The parking causes damage to the roadside edge and verge.
“It is proposed to formalise the parking on the verge area with the installation of timber bollards and protect the road edge by installing kerbs.”
Outlining the measures that will be put in place, the report adds: “It is proposed to maintain a 6.0m clear carriageway width which would allow a bus and a car to pass a parked vehicle comfortably.
“The remaining 3.1m will be separated into 1.9m wide parking bays with a 1.2m wide footpath beyond.
The report adds that officers are yet to finalise the “detailed design”, but that work should get underway during the first quarter of 2022.
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Pictured top: Some of the parking that led to fines and complaints in May 2020.
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