Town park extension and cycle routes for town?

Monday 20 April 2015

A bold “new deal” for St Helier involving an extension to the Millennium Town Park, the creation of safe cycle routes, a guarantee that the States will pay rates and more access to trained staff for non-finance businesses has been put to the States.

Town Constable Simon Crowcroft says that the package of measures will rebalance the impact of the thousands of new homes planned for town in the next few years, and will make St Helier a better and more vibrant place to live and work.

And he wants to hold the States to the promise that the profits from the new Jersey International Finance Centre would be ploughed back into urban regeneration schemes to improve the look of the town.

His proposals have been made in a series of amendments to the States’ Strategic Plan, which is due to be debated by politicians next week. That plan effectively sets ministers a “to do” list for the next five years, but the real detail is expected to be included in the Medium Term Financial Plan that follows it.

That document – which comes against the backdrop of an expected £130 million shortfall in States finances – will also set out any planned tax changes, as well as which departments will get funding increases or cuts over the next five years.

The last Strategic Plan removed money from town projects in favour of projects for “village improvement schemes” in the rural parishes – the new plan puts a priority on St Helier, but Mr Crowcroft wants to make sure that it is backed up with firm commitments.

He said: “Having already had several meetings with the new Ministers and having led the key Ministers concerned with improving St. Helier around the town on a ‘walkabout’ to see the kinds of challenges faced on a daily basis by the thousands of shoppers, workers, visitors and residents who use the town’s streets and open spaces, it is clear to me that there is a genuine desire in the Council to build on the improvements that have already been made in St. Helier. But such improvements to urban infrastructure cost money.”