Select a region
Jersey's Environment Minister has given a strong warning to utility providers and public service companies to stop mistreating the island's public realms.
In an open letter Deputy Steve Luce says there have been, "..far too many incidents of poorly designed signs, poor lighting, inappropriately located street furniture and inconsiderate clutter.' "This has once again recently come to the fore with the erection of a security fence around Gibraltar Rock at St Catherine’s, and the installation of a power point into our newly created piece of public realm at Charing Cross. These two incidents, amongst others, have highlighted to me that we can, indeed we must, do very much better."
Deputy Luce's view has been backed by a recent report from Save Jersey’s Heritage entitled “This Realm of Ours”, and the Minister has also had conversations about the issue with his officers, interested islanders and other elected States Members, including the Deputy of Grouville.
Jersey's public realms covers all areas used by islanders every day - from green areas and parks, to roads and pavements - they can have an influential impact to our lives.
In the open letter, Deputy Luce says, "...I want things to improve. I want our public services and utility providers to have a lot more thought in their actions. I want them to treat our public realm as if it were their own personal properties, their own driveways, their own front gardens, their own homes."
The Minister is now warning that more regulations could be brought in if things don't improve.
He said, "I am looking at removing permitted development rights which currently enable our providers of public services and utilities to erect signs, fences, lighting and other street furniture, without planning permission. This is a big step. It will create more planning applications, and it will mean changes to current utility practice."
But Deputy Luce hopes this will be a last resort, and public service and utility providers take up his invitation to a half-day conference in January, where there will also be representatives from other interested parties, States members and campaign group 'Save Jersey's Heritage'.
The Environment Minister believes it is vital changes are made, and the Jersey Infrastructure Levy will be a financial boost to public realms but the investment needs to be managed.
"This is money from the uplift of development value, which will be directly invested into improving our public realm. This is about the spaces in which we walk and cycle, the spaces where our children play, the spaces in which we sit and contemplate and the spaces which provide the landscape and green lungs for our towns and parish centres. This investment is a significant step forward for the island, and we cannot therefore undermine it by unthinking, and inconsiderate behaviour of those who manage and shape what our public realm looks and feels like."
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.